The first budget introduced by the YSR Congress party government in the state assembly on Friday clearly indicated the priorities of chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy: no fancy programmes and only welfare and development.
Presenting the budget in the state assembly, finance minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy projected a total outlay of Rs 2.27 lakh crore.
While the revenue deficit was projected at Rs 1,778.52 crore, the revenue expenditure is expected to go up by 20.10 per cent by the end of 2019-20 financial year.
As expected, Jagan has given the least priority to the construction of Amaravati, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, which had been given huge priority during the Chandrababu Naidu regime.
The finance minister allocated only Rs 500 crore for Amaravati, which will be just sufficient to pay annuity to farmers and monthly pension to agriculture labourers, besides salaries to the Capital Region Development Authority employees.
The Jagan government earmarked Rs 13,139 crore for irrigation sector, Rs 6,861 crore for power sector, apart from Rs 2,000 crore towards power purchases, Rs 11,399 crore for health sector, Rs 4,925 crore for free power supply, Rs 6455 crore for Amma Vodi scheme, Rs 1740 crore for Arogya Sri, Rs 8,750 crore for YSR Rythu Bharosa etc.
The other major allocations are: Rs 3,617 crore for housing, Rs 2,707 crore for social security schemes including pensions, Rs 3,000 crore towards price stabilisation fund, Rs 2,000 crore for disaster management etc.
It clearly shows that Jagan has complete clarity on his priorities.
The only question is how his government would raise the financial resources for the implementation of the schemes due to drastic fall in excise and stamps and registration revenues.