Hyderabad:The Telangana Government’s budget for 2017-18 is unrealistic, the Leader of Opposition K Jana Reddy said here today.
The Congress leader said the budget, presented in the Legislative Assembly on Monday by the TRS government, makes exaggerated claims on revenue receipts and GSDP (Gross State Domestic Project).
“The budget is unrealistic. Such a (projected) income will not be there. It is not known what schemes would go (due to unavailability of funds). It (budget) will create false hopes,” Reddy said in his address on budget in the House.
He wondered whether the estimated revenue receipts of Rs 1,13,083 crores for 2017-18 would materialise as past experience was otherwise.
Talking about the government projecting a revenue surplus (of Rs 4,571.31 crores in 2017-18), he felt that such a projection would lead to fall in devolutions from upcoming 15th Finance Commission and grants from Centre.
Production of food grains and area under cultivation also showed a declining trend during the TRS rule since June, 2014, Reddy alleged.
Foodgrains production was 106 lakh tonnes in 2013-14 whereas it stood at 77 lakh tonnes in 2016-17, he said.
The TRS government claimed credit for the improved power situation in the state, but it has improved all over the country, he said.
About 70-80 per cent of construction of some power plants was completed during the Congress rule till 2014 elections, the Congress leader said.
He said the state may have to pay hefty amounts if it failed to use power after having booked power from Chhattisgarh and also the transmission corridor.
Stressing that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao continuously monitored power situation as well as construction of other projects, state Finance Minister E Rajender said the sense of responsibility of the state government need not be doubted.
Rajender had presented a tax-free, welfare-oriented budget focusing on irrigation and reviving traditional occupations of backward classes for 2017-18 with a proposed expenditure of nearly Rs 1.50 lakh crore in the Legislative Assembly.
—PTI