VIJAYAWADA: Taking a dig at the opposition TDP for making a hue and cry on the State debts, Government Advisor (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said unable to digest the continuation of welfare schemes by the YSRC government, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and his party men resorted to launch a false propaganda that AP has collapsed financially.
Speaking to mediapersons at the Secretariat on Thursday, Sajjala while admitting that there is an increase in borrowings following the revenue shortfall because of the COVID-19 pandemic, said the Centre is also no exception in this regard.
He asserted that the State government is making a meaningful expenditure in implementing several welfare schemes for the poor people.
Stating that the YSRC government has been implementing all the schemes despite the COVID-19 pandemic toppling the financial system for two-and-a-half-years, he said people’s respect for Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has increased and they are giving unprecedented victories to YSRC in every election.
"People's welfare and development of the poor are our political agenda. Our government is working in the direction of taking forward both welfare and development. Right from Amma Vodi, English medium in government schools, Videshi Vidya and other schemes are being implemented as part of that agenda. In case of any shortcomings, we are ready to correct them," Sajjala said.
He remarked that the TDP virtually got a slap when the Union MoS Finance, in reply to a question raised by a TDP MP in Parliament, said there are no accounts for Rs 1.62 lakh crore between 2014-19 (TDP regime) and the TDP government had submitted accounts for only Rs 51,000 crore after being asked by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
Describing the TDP chief and Co as anti-poor and anti-welfare, Sajjala said as the present government is implementing welfare schemes, they are making every effort to obstruct it and are resorting to a false propaganda on a daily-basis.
He appealed to people not to believe the words of Naidu and his group as it will cause harm to the State and injustice to the poor. "We urge the people to observe the facts," he said. Special Secretary to CM (Finance and Economic Affairs) Duvvuri Krishna said the Central government debt to GDP ratio, which stood at 50.47 per cent in 2013-14, rose to 61 per cent in 2020-21.
"The debt situation of Andhra Pradesh in FY 22 is quite encouraging. The provisional figures released by CAG convey that for the financial year 2021-22, the State government managed its finances in the most fiscally prudent fashion with the revenue deficit being limited to Rs 8,370.51 crore and fiscal deficit to Rs 25,194.62 crore. This translates to a fiscal deficit to GSDP ratio of less than 2.10 per cent," he explained.
Recalling that the deficit to GSDP ratio exceeded the then prevailing limit of 3 per cent during the previous TDP regime, he said its misgovernance and expenditure profligacy had resulted in undue swelling of the liabilities of Andhra Pradesh.
At the time of bifurcation, the debt of combined State assigned to the government of successor State of Andhra Pradesh was Rs 97,123 crore and when public account share was also added to the same, it was Rs 1,20,556 crore, the same had, over the five years increased to Rs 2,68,225 crore, Duvvuri elaborated
In addition to the above, owing to TDP's misgovernance during 2014-19, the State had to endure the burden of many more additional liabilities such as outstanding payables to the tune of Rs 39,000 crore as of May 2019, borrowings of PSUs with the State government guarantees to the tune of Rs 59,257.31 crore as of May 2019 (Rs 14,028.23 crore at the time of bifurcation), increase of debt in the books of the power sector corporations from Rs 29,703 crore to Rs 68,596 crore over the five year period 2014-19.
Further, dues to power generators by DISCOMs had increased from Rs 2,893.23 crore to Rs 21,540.96 crore during the five year period of 2014- 19. While the compounded annual growth rate during the five year period of TDP government stood at 19.46 per cent, it is 15.77 per cent during the YSRC regime, Duvvuri analysed.