Telangana 2018-19 Budget A Whopping Rs. 1.75 Crores

Finance Minister Etela Rajender presented in the Telangana Assembly yet another jumbo budget with an estimated total expenditure of Rs. 1,74,453.84 crores, for the year 2018-19.

Presenting his fifth budget for the state, incidentally in the absence of the main opposition party the Congress including the Leader Of Opposition K Jana Reddy who along with about 10 other MLAs has been suspended for the rest of the session, the Finance Minister said the estimated total expenditure would be Rs. 1,74,453.84 crores. Of this the revenue expenditure would be Rs. 1,25,454.70 crores and the capital expenditure would be Rs. 33,369.10 crores.

The capital expenditure proportion, 19% of the total expenditure, was substantially higher when compared to that of other states, he claimed, and pointed out that even in the combined state of Andhra Pradesh it was only Rs. 15,280 crores during 2013-14.

According to the Finance Minister, the estimated revenue surplus for the year 2018-19 was Rs. 5,520.41 crores, and the fiscal deficit would be Rs. 29,077.07 crores. The fiscal deficit was 3.45% of GSDP, he added.

Asserting that the growth of the agricultural sector was vital for the development of the state, the Finance Minister said that the government was spending Rs. 16,124 crores to waive off the crop loans of 35,29,944 farmers. In addition, from the year 2018-19, the government would provide investment support of Rs. 4,000 per acre per crop for two crops (totaling to Rs. 8,000 per acre). The investment support for the Khariff season would be distributed from April onwards, and for the Rabi season from November onwards. For this an amount of Rs. 12,000 crores had been proposed in the budget, he said.

Plenty of other budgetary allocations for farmers, the agriculture sector and the rural economy have been made. Agriculture and marketing has cumulatively been allocated an amount of Rs. 15,788 crores, and irrigation projects have been given Rs. 25,000 crores.

Notable community-specific allocations include Rs. 16,453 crores for SC development funds and Rs. 9,693 crores for ST development funds, Rs. 1,469 crores for the distribution of three acres of land to dalits, Rs. 8,063 crores for tribal welfare, Rs. 5,920 crores for backward classes' welfare, Rs. 2,000 crores for minorities welfare and Rs. 1,799 crores for women and child welfare.

2,72,763 two-bedroom houses have been sanctioned, of which 9,522 have been completed and the construction of 1,68,981 houses is in progress. Rs. 2,643 crores have been allocated for the construction of double bedroom houses.

Other important allocations:

Medical and health sector: Rs. 7,375 crores
School education: Rs. 10,830 crores
Higher education: Rs. 2,448 crores
Power: Rs. 5,650 crores
Handlooms and textiles: Rs. 1,200 crores
Industries and commerce department: Rs. 1,286 crores
Civil supplies: Rs. 2,946 crores