The state is witnessing extensive debate on the state government’s borrowings these days.
The opposition TDP leads a campaign against the increasing debts, while the BJP and Jana Sena too speak low of the government for its borrowings.
TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu day in and day out blames the present government headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy for the increasing debts.
But the question is who increased the state’s debt? Is it Jagan Mohan Reddy now in power since May 30, 2019 or Chandrababu Naidu who was the chief minister since June 8, 2014 to May 30, 2019?
The state was bifurcated with a debt of Rs 90,000 crore, which were accumulated since 1956. This amount was fixed for Andhra Pradesh at the time of bifurcation from the total outstanding debt of the undivided state.
However, after Naidu took over the reins, the debt went up and on the day he stepped down and Jagan stepped in, the total debt was Rs 3.7 lakh crore.
This would mean that Chandrababu Naidu borrowed around Rs 2.8 lakh crore during his tenure.
This Rs 3.7 lakh crore debt is now increased to Rs 6 lakh crore now, as Chandrababu Naidu himself claims.
This would mean that Jagan Mohan Reddy borrowed Rs 2.3 lakh crore and that too when the state’s revenues were badly hit by Covid 19 pandemic, when the revenue for the state fell by at least 50 per cent.
So, who borrowed more for the state of Andhra Pradesh?