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Hyderabad, Finance Minister Etela Rajender today expressed displeasure at the Central Budget presented by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as it lacks any lustre and not a people-centric.
Addressing the media at the Secretariat here today, Rajender charged the Centre with failing to provide any financial allocations to the flagship programs of Telangana State despite Niti Ayog recommendations. Rajender hastened to avoid a query whether the budget was good or bad stating that it is just normal and did not focus on people’s welfare.
Though the Centre, in its Rs 24 lakh crore budget outlay has offered priority to agriculture, health and education sectors, it ignored to give impetus to poor and deprived classes to achieve the target of inclusive growth and all-round development, he alleged. The nation being agrarian economy and the Telangana government was doing its best in several sectors and giving fillip to the flagship programs, the Centre should give funds for both Kharif and Rabi seasons to provide MSP, he said. However, there are some similarities between the Union budget allocations to the State schemes such as water scheme, education to Minorities and others. The budget has no plans to increase the depleting ground water table, global warming, ecological imbalance and other such key issues were not touched upon, he said.
“I have yet to go through the details of the budget”, he said, adding that it may
boost farm, health and education sectors. Telangana government was giving priority to farm and allied sectors with better funds. He expressed discontent that Jaitley’s budget did not make any mention about the funds sought, including Rs 19,000 crore for Mission Bhagiratha, Rs 17,000 crore for Mission Kakatiya and Rs 10,000 crore for Kaleshwaram project.
Rajender appreciated that the Centre increased the Health reimbursement from Rs 30,000 to Rs 5 lakh to help 50 crore people in the country. Allocating Rs 11 crore for agriculture out of Rs 24 lakh crore outlay was a positive sign to boost rural economy, he felt. He said the TRS government built godowns with 18 lakh metric ton capacity and waived off Rs 17,000 crore crop loan, a major relief to farmers. The State government was also taking steps for MSP and Rs 4,000 per acre crop investment, Rajender said.
