Chandrababu Naidu says Budget gave his state a raw deal

Says he was hoping it would make up for inadequate allocations recommended by the 14th Finance Commission

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday expressed his deep disappointment over the Union Budget and said the Centre was not doing justice to his state that had received a raw deal in the bifurcation.

“I had hopes that the state would get its due financial support in the Union Budget to make good for the inadequate allocations recommended by the 14 th Finance Commission. But we got a raw deal once again,” Naidu said.  

Naidu had also expressed his resentment over  the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission for not addressing the state's financial problems. He also criticised the Centre for not  announcing a separate railway zone for AP as was requested by the state government.

The Union Budget has not provided money towards building the new capital city or made no allocations to absorb the current year's revenue deficit of the state, even though these were part of several promises made by the AP Bifurcation Act, according to Naidu.

He was also critical of the some of the allocations made in favour of AP. Only Rs 100 crore were earmarked for the Polavaram irrigation scheme, which has been  declared as the national project.  “If the allocations are made at this level the project would never get completed in the foreseeable future,” he said.

“We have a large population with lesser revenues as compared with Telangana. Our wings are chopped. How can we fly again?” Naidu said while adding that he would once again represent the matter with the Centre and seek the financial support as promised at the time of  state bifurcation.