VIJAYAWADA: The YSRC government has only spent 16.20% of the State budget on welfare, compared to 18.21% by the previous Telugu Desam regime, said State TDP president K Atchannaidu. In a release issued on Friday, Atchannaidu accused Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of betraying the people in the name of ‘Navaratnalu’.
Seeking to know why the share of welfare is declining despite the increase in the State budget outlay year-by-year, he said though there is an increase in debts, taxes and revenue, the expenditure on welfare has declined. When former chief minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu made drivers owners by giving them Innova vehicles, Jagan, who is providing Rs 10,000 to 10% of the drivers in the State under the YSR Vahana Mithra scheme, was getting back Rs 1 lakh from them in a year, he pointed out.
Atchannaidu alleged that several welfare schemes like loan waiver, drip irrigation and best available schools were cancelled by the YSRC government. “When it comes to the social security pensions, compared to the previous TDP regime, which increased the monthly pension by Rs 1,800 from Rs 200, the YSRC government hiked it by Rs 750 from Rs 2,000,” he highlighted.