NEW DELHI: Ahead of Sunday’s Union Budget, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a key ally of the NDA, said while the recently enacted Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (G RAM G) is expected to add an estimated Rs 2,500 crore burden to Andhra Pradesh’s state budget, it is confident that the Centre will step in with financial support to bridge the gap.
In an interview with this newspaper, TDP parliamentary party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu said the party has already taken up the matter with the Centre. “We have sought the Centre’s support for implementing G RAM G, and we have received a lot of confidence from them.
We expect to receive a substantial allocation for the Purvodaya scheme to meet the additional cost for G RAM G,” he said. The state is also expecting allocation of funds for river interlinking projects and the development of horticulture across at least 40 lakh acres in Rayalaseema and other backward districts in the Union Budget, added Devarayalu.
Under the G RAM G Act, the guarantee of work has been increased from 100 days to 125 days per financial year, and states are required to cover 40% of the expenditure for the rural job scheme. Under this revised funding formula, Andhra Pradesh is expected to shoulder an additional Rs 2,500 crore.
To meet the additional cost, the state is exploring two potential sources, the Purvodaya scheme and the Rayalaseema drought mitigation scheme, said Devarayalu. “We are hoping to secure as much funding as possible for both in the Union Budget,” he said. The Purvodaya scheme is aimed at the sustainable development of Eastern India, specifically Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.
A recent report by research group Libitech said that Andhra Pradesh is already burdened with nearly Rs 10 lakh crore in debt. In 2024–25, Andhra Pradesh spent around Rs 7,800 crore under MGNREGA, with the state contributing about Rs 780 crore. Under the new Act, the state’s share is projected to rise sharply to nearly Rs 3,120 crore. “We have a strategy in place, and going forward, the funds will be augmented. We will ensure that the scheme is fully implemented,” he said.
Flaws in NREGA
Pointing out flaws in MGNREGA, Devarayalu said the scheme often involved the same work being repeated year after year. The G Ram G scheme will address it. On tech hassle, he added, “4G is widespread. We will open offices in areas with poor connectivity, so that no one is left out.”