HYDERABAD: Presenting the fifth budget of the Telangana state, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday tabled a Rs 1,82,017 crore annual plan for the financial year of 2019-20.
The vote on account budget provided for a revenue expenditure of Rs 1,31,629 crore, capital expenditure of Rs 32,815 crore and a revenue surplus of Rs 6,564 crore for the first six months of the financial year.
Rao, who also holds the finance portfolio, presented the budget indicating allocations for several big-ticket welfare programmes and development projects.
Recalling the earlier days when the state was formed in 2014, Rao said it had come a long way since then by logging in achievements one after the other. Within a short time after the formation of the state, 24-hour power supply to all sectors could be achieved, claimed Rao.
He also recalled that since the bifurcation and formation of Telangana, the state's growth rate had doubled.
Rao also pointed out that state's flagship programme 'Rythu Bandhu' under which the government was spending Rs 4,000 per acre for rabi and an equal amount for khariff, as one of the greatest achievements for the state.
However, for this financial year, the state proposed to increase it by Rs 1,000 perper acre per season, taking the total amount payable to Rs10,000 per acre in a year for use as an investment for growing crops.
Here are the highlights of the budget:
The growth rate for 2018-19: 10.6 per cent
Increase in pension amount to Rs.2,116 from Rs. 1,000 to the aged persons, widows, single women, beedi workers and those suffering from various ailments.
Those who are psychically challenged, the pension amount would be Rs. 3,116 from Rs.2,000
Allocation for Asara pensions: Rs.12,067 crore.
Kalyan Lakshmi, Shadi Mubarak: Rs.1,450 crore
Employment dole: Rs. 1,810 crore
Welfare of SCs: Rs 16,581 crore
Welfare of STs: Rs 9,827 crore
Welfare of minorities: Rs.2004 crore
Debt waiver of farmers: Rs.6,000 crore
Subsidy rice scheme: Rs. 2,774 crore
Rythu Bheema: Rs.650 crore
Rythu Bandhu: Rs.12,000 crore
Most Backward Corporation: Rs.1,000 crore
Agriculture: Rs 20,107 crore
Irrigation: Rs 22,500 crore