VIJAYAWADA: Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath on Wednesday asserted that though there is a lot of development in the YSRC government in the last three-and-a-half years compared to the previous five-year TDP regime, the opposition party resorted to unleash a false propaganda against the ruling party to mislead people.
Refuting the charges of former TDP minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, the Finance Minister said the average borrowings of the State are less than the debts made in the five-year tenure of the TDP government. Despite facing tough times because of Covid-19, the YSRC government had implemented all the welfare schemes, he averred.
Speaking to mediapersons at the Secretariat, he explained the progress made by the State in education and health sectors. Renovation of government schools and hospitals was taken up on a large scale under the Nadu-Nedu programme. Stating that 2,906 schools, including 1,759 primary and 1,147 high schools, were closed down in 2017 by the TDP regime. Not even a single school has been closed down in the last three-and-a-half years.
In fact, 87 new schools were opened in 2019-20 and 123 in 2020-21. As many as 3,255 medical procedures are being covered under the Aarogyasri scheme now, compared to mere 1,059 ailments in the previous TDP regime. In 2022-23, Rs 1,477 crore has been spent on provision of medicare to 6,81,527 people under Aarogyasri, he highlighted.
Refuting the TDP charge that aid from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) was not being given to the needy, he said the chief minister directed to extend aid from the CMRF for those medical procedures which are not covered under Aarogyasri. Actually, touts had swindled the aid from the CMRF in the TDP regime, he alleged.
Mentioning that the debts of AP increased to Rs 3,28,719 crore by May, 2019 from Rs 1,34,584 crore after the State bifurcation in 2014, he stated that the average rise in debts in the YSRC government was 15.46% only. The debts increased from Rs 3,28,719 crore to Rs 4,99,895 crore in the YSRC regime despite the Covid pandemic, which was a quite achievement of the YSRC government, he asserted.
During 2014-19, the average investment on large and mega industries per year was Rs 11,994 crore. In the YSRC government, the average investment on large and mega industries per year increased to Rs 13,201 crore. Thus there is a net increase of Rs 2,000 crore investments per year, he maintained.
Average rise in State debts 15.46% only: FM
Mentioning that the debts of Andhra Pradesh increased to Rs 3,28,719 crore by May, 2019 from Rs 1,34,584 crore after the State bifurcation in 2014, Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath stated that the average rise in debts in the YSRC government was 15.46% only. The debts increased from Rs 3,28,719 crore to Rs 4,99,895 crore in the YSRC regime despite the Covid-19 pandemic, which was a quite achievement of the YSRC government, he asserted