Telangana has deficit budget of Rs 3,960 cr in Dec, 2023: Dy CM

Hyderabad: Telangana has a deficit budget of Rs 3,960 crore at the time of change of guard, says Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka. Addressing the media representatives in ‘Meet the Press’ programme here on Friday, he said that the new government has so far paid Rs 26,374 crore as interests for the loans taken by the previous government.

He said: “Before the elections, the BRS government said that they have kept Rs 7,000 crore towards Rythu Bandhu disbursements, and if the Election Commission gives permission, they will transfer the amount into the farmers' accounts. The BRS government has handed over the State with a deficit budget of Rs 3,690 crore when the Congress government came to power on December 7, 2023.”

Speaking about the commenting of a Central minister citing that the Union government has given Rs 10 lakh crore to the State during the last ten years, Bhatti said: “This is a literal lie. Only Rs 3,70,235 crore have been received by the Centre. Telangana did not even get what it is entitled to from the taxes paid directly and indirectly by the people of the State.”

He also questioned why former chief minister of the State K Chandrashekar Rao have taken a debt of Rs 7 lakh crore if the Central government has given Rs 10 lakh crore to Telangana. “KCR should give an answer to the people of the State. The previous government has collapsed the financial position of the State and created troubles to the people,” he said.

The Minister further said, “In spite of the grave financial situation of the State, our government is giving salaries to all the employees on the first day of every month. Not only salaries and pensions, we are giving Asara pensions, and arranging funds for all the welfare schemes, including the six-guarantees – free bus travel for women, 200-unit power supply and subsidised gas cylinder.”

He said that the new government has cleared all the bills of the previous government that were pending since months – Asha workers salaries, Anganwadi, home guards, gram panchayat sweepers, diet bills social welfare hostels/ residential schools and mid-day meals. He claimed that the BRS government has earlier only sanctioned funds for overseas hostels, but the new government has cleared those bills.

The new government has spent Rs 66,507 crore for salaries, interest payments, and other schemes like Rythu Bharosa. Giving a counter to the BRS leaders claim that Rythu Bharosa has been stalled, the minister said that the Congress government has released 93 per cent of the pending amount in the last four months. Over Rs 5,575 crore has been given to 65 lakh farmers till now, he said.

“Though the Congress government has not promised about Dwakra scheme before elections, we have recently committed to the women that our government will allocate Rs 20,000 crore per year in the Budget which amounts a total of Rs 1 lakh crore for the next five years. We want to give interest-free loans only to encourage women,” Bhatti said.

Thrashing the allegations of corruption in the State such as R-tax (Bribe for CM Revanth Reddy) and B-tax (Bribe for Bhatti Vikramarka), he said: “It’s not a fact. Chief Minister and his team are working responsibly to do something for the people of this State. As Deputy CM, I am trying to do my part sincerely to the State. This is a fake publicity by Opposition members who are trying to demoralise us.”