The state BJP chief, G Kishan Reddy, criticized the Congress government’s vote on account budget. He said that the budget focused more on criticizing the previous government and did not mention anything about the Congress’ electoral promises or how they plan to fulfill them.
The budget allocated Rs19,746 crore for agriculture, but it did not address promises such as Rythu Bharossa (now Rythu Bandhu) scheme, farm loan waivers, crop insurance, farmers insurance, interest-free crop loans, and seed development initiatives. The promises made to tenant farmers and farm laborers were also neglected, indicating that the Congress government was not sincere in its intentions.
The government’s BC Declaration and promises to strengthen Gram Panchayats were also not upheld. The appointment of special officers instead of democratically elected village Sarpanchs raised questions about whether elections will be held this year. This reflects the Congress party’s history of not holding elections for a long time.
The allocation of Rs 11,000 crore for urban development was deemed insufficient by BJP leaders. They criticized the government for showing discrimination against BCs (Backward Classes) compared to minorities. The allocation for minorities (15% of the population) was Rs 2,200 crore, while for BCs (more than 50% of the population) it was Rs 8,000 crore.
The medical and health sector was also neglected in the budget. The mere allocation of Rs 11,000 crore raised doubts about whether the Rajiv Arogya Sri program would be implemented and if enough funds were allocated for strengthening government hospitals.
Lastly, the allocation of Rs 28,000 crore for irrigation was considered insufficient to complete ongoing projects on the River Krishna.
