VIJAYAWADA: Hitting back at the critics of the government, and the Opposition for comparing the financial situation in the 2020-21 fiscal and previous fiscals, Finance Minister Bugganna Rajendranath questioned how they can compare a Covid pandemic affected fiscal with a normal one. In a press release issued on Friday, he maintained that the State’s economy went for a toss during the TDP regime. He rejected the Opposition demand to set up ‘Fiscal Council’ for the implementation of the budget and reminded them that the Union government itself has made it clear in Parliament that there is no need for fiscal council, when there are CAG, Finance Commission and statistical institutions.
Finding fault with the criticism of the Opposition with regard to the State’s economy in 2020-21, the Finance Minister explained that the Covid pandemic has adverse impact on the economy, not only in the State but also across the globe. “Our State was no different. Due to the Covid pandemic, the State lost its own revenues to the tune of Rs 8,000 crore in the 2020-21 financial year. At the same time, the State has spent an additional Rs 7,120 crore for Covid control. Notwithstanding the difficulties, the State is implementing the budget as per FRBM rules,” he maintained.
Lambasting the TDP leaders for their remarks, Rajendranath said in their eyes development means improving their own real estate business and having MoUs with private entities and resorting to marketing, projecting false data. He said the TDP has never kept the promises made to people. Buggana maintained that the YSRC government’s definition of economic development means farmers welfare, human capital formation, improving education and health sectors with focus on government institutions, women employment, decentralised development, industrialisation and job creation.
Taking exception to TDP’s claims that two years rule of YSRC reeks of corruption, the finance minister said Rs 1.2 lakh crore was provided to farmers, women and weaker sections for education and women empowerment through Direct Benefit Transfer mode, thereby ensuring benefits reach the beneficiaries in a transparent manner without any discrimination based on caste, creed, religion or party affiliation. “People have not forgotten Fibernet scam, land scam, skill development scam and atrocities of Janmabhoomi committees during the TDP regime,” he said.
Blaming the previous TDP regime for the present economic crisis being faced by the State, Buggana said the TDP has no moral grounds to point fingers at the YSRC government. “If not for the burden of unpaid bills and additional loans taken on civil supplies corporations and unscrupulous tender process, today’s situation would not be there,” he said. The finance minister maintained that capital expenditure and revenue expenditure in the last two years were more than what was spent during the last three years of the TDP regime.