Govt Spending Only 60% Of Budget Since 3 Years: BJP

BJP floor leader in the Telangana Assembly G Kishan Reddy said in the house today that except for figures there were no facts in the state budget.

Participating in the debate on the budget, the BJP member said only 60% to 70% of the budgetary allocations were actually being spent by the government in the last two budgets, and that by giving inflated figures, the government was just trying to mislead the members in the Assembly and the people.

Reddy also said that though it was the moral responsibility of the government to control liquor sales in the State, it was contemplating raising Rs 19,000 crores in revenues from liquor sales, and a wrong liquor policy was getting people habituated to consuming liquor.

Condemning the borrowings by the State government, the BJP leader said that the state which was revenue surplus had become debt-ridden due to indiscriminate borrowing. Every year the government now needed to repay Rs 15,700 crores, he pointed out. Given that, from where would it get funds for the construction of double bedroom houses and Mission Bhagiratha, he asked.

The BJP leader also asked the government when it would fulfill its election promises. The people were questioning their MLAs about the double bedroom houses wherever they come across their public representatives, he claimed. The government should give details on how many houses were constructed during the last three years.

Kishan Reddy also asked what happened to promise to withdraw the electricity surcharge.

He also claimed that the scheme introduced by the state government for sheep-rearing had actually received funds from the Centre, but the TRS was taking credit for it. And he said that the allocations made by the Telangana government for education and health were low compared to those made by other States.

Countering Kishan Reddy's comments on debt, Finance Minister Etela Rajender said that the government would take loans within the limits of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act. Also, the lenders would offer loans only after making a thorough assessment of the capability to repay them, he said.

"We have to take loans for development. Loans are being taken for the people," the Finance Minister said.