VIJAYAWADA: Terming the Budget a jugglery of figures, TDP supremo and Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said it reflects the bankrupt situation of the state government. Empty hands were shown to the crucial priority sectors and it has no vision for the state’s future, he said, adding that the budget appears to have imposed more burden on the people.
Accusing the YSRC government of attempting to mislead the people, he said that despite the revenue collections stood at just Rs 1.18 lakh crore against the estimated Rs 1.61 lakh crore last fiscal, the government estimated Rs 1.77 lakh crore towards revenue collections this fiscal. Stating that the debts of the state stood at 36.46 per cent of the total income of the state, Naidu said that total debts of AP reached Rs 3,55,874 crore by March 2021 apart from the loans taken through corporations.
Mock session
The TDP, which boycotted the Budget Session of the AP Legislature, conducted a mock Assembly online to expose the alleged failures of the government in taking Covid preventive measures. Though party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu participated in the event, he did not speak on Thursday. He is expected to speak on the second and final day of the mock assembly on Friday. During the session, TDP leaders deplored that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his Cabinet colleagues were continuing their negligent attitude during the pandemic. Over 22,600 people died due to Covid so far in the State and oxygen shortage caused 110 deaths, but the ruling party was still turning a blind eye to the people’s sufferings, they alleged.
The TDP members moved an adjournment motion to discuss the Covid situation. A short discussion was taken up on the issue, setting aside the “question hour”. Finding fault with Jagan coming to the House without wearing a mask, they said that from the beginning, the Chief Minister adopted his ‘paracetamol’ and ‘bleaching powder’ approach, which eventually put AP in top place in the country in positivity rate.