Andhra Pradesh presents Rs 2.25 trn budget for FY21 amid Covid-19 crisis

Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday presented the annual budget for the year 2020-21 with an outlay of Rs 2.25 trillion. The budget. estimates entail an overall decease of 1.4 per cent over the 2019-20 budget estimates on account of the economic slowdown during the Covid-19 pandemic, state finance minister Buggana Rajendranath said.

Presenting the budget in the state legislative assembly, the Rajendranath said the government had taken rapid strides towards fulfilling the goal of comprehensive development of Andhra Pradesh and positioning the state at the very top in terms of human development.

The budget estimates includes a revenue expenditure of Rs 1,80,789 crore and a capital expenditure of Rs 44,396 crore. Continuing with the post bifurcation legacy, the government has proposed a revenue deficit of about Rs 18,434 crore, while the fiscal deficit has been pegged at Rs 48,298 crore. Allocations to sectors like agriculture and secondary education saw a substantial cut as compared to outlays of these sectors in the previous year.

In the health sector, the government announced that it would open 11000 new clinics in the state apart from strengthening the ambulance services in the state. The government has allocated Rs 2,075 crore for the development of industrial infrastructure.

The minister said that welfare programmes had been given a maximum priority with a 270 per cent increase over the previous year. Agriculture, health and water resources sectors have been allocated an equal amount of around Rs 11000 crore each.

The state government has also earmarked an amount of Rs 3000 crore towards the price stabilisation fund to provide support to crops like onion and red gram at a time when farmers are facing losses due to lower prices.