YSR's pet schemes ignored in Budget

The claims by the N Kiran Kumar Reddy government that it would highlight and promote the pet schemes of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy were proved untrue on Wednesday as his flagship schemes received no special treatment in the current budget allocations.

The budget allocations made it clear that the government deviated from most of the schemes started with much fanfare during YSR reign.

The most glaring neglect came in the form of the much talked about Jalayagnam Irrigation project, which was found to be pro-farmer. The mega scheme was not given due priority, to the extent that it was left to the discretion of the Centre to accord National Project to the Polavaram and the Pranahita-Chevella and thus release some funds.

Apart from this, the burning issue which has rocked the state, the fee reimbursement issue, did not find a specific mention.

The 2010-2011 arrears of the said ‘fee’ have not been cleared so far though the academic year is coming to a close.

The last academic arrears are bound to snowball into the next academic year but it did not attract the finance minister’s attention.

Some of the prominent subjects among those which skipped immediate and specific allocations were farmers, seeds, disaster managements during the natural calamities, ware housing, some relief for victims of microfinance institutions’ arm twisting methods, (For Self Help Group members) among others.

The government displayed that it seemingly lack any concern for the poor farmers who suffered unprecedented losses in 2010. Except sympathies, the budget failed to make any room for the tillers, including the marginal farmers and agricultural labourers who constitute a major part of BPL people.

Specific allotment for crop insurance, storage facility of grains, sale centres in all villages, Arogyasri, pensions, Indiramma Housing and others too failed to find a mention.

The Rs 2 kg rice scheme, irrigation, minority welfare, are some of the sectors which were sought to be promoted but the allotments were meager particularly for rural, urban developments, welfare, labour welfare programmes.

Some relief has been announced for the primary education, irrigation sector, health and BC welfare.

Budget Allocations

Annual Budget plan for 2011-12: Rs 1,28,542 crore

Planned expenditure: Rs 47,558 crore

Non- Plan expenditure: Rs 80,984 crore

Estimation of revenue surplus: Rs 3826 crore

Estimation of fiscal deficit: Rs 17602 crore

GDP forecast: 8.5 percent

Growth of industry: 9.61 percent

Irrigation projects / Sector: Rs 15000 crore

Jalayagnam: Rs 15000 crore

Higher Education: Rs 3337 crore

Health: Rs 5040 crore

BC Welfare: Rs 2104 crore

Minority Welfare: Rs. 301 crore

Subsidised Rice Scheme: Rs 2500 crore

Ministry of Industries: Rs. 858 crore

Information and Communication Technology: Rs. 51 crore

Primary education: Rs. 14025 crore

Labour welfare and employment: Rs. 489 crore

R and B: Rs 4108 crore

Housing: Rs. 2300 crore

Rural Development: 3341 crore

Urban Development: 5080 crore

Integrated Economic Management System: Rs. 100 crore

Constituency Development: Rs. 385 crore

Development and Welfare Special Fund: Rs. 400 crore

Infrastructure and Investments: Rs. 143 crore

Energy: Rs. 4980 crore

Rs. 2  kg Rice Scheme: Rs. 2500 crore

APSRTC: Rs. 200 crore

Animal Husbandry: Rs. 930 crore