VIJAYAWADA: Making it clear that welfare is the State government’s priority, Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath tabled the Budget for financial year 2023-24 in the Assembly on Thursday and earmarked Rs 54,228 crore of the total outlay of Rs 2.79 lakh crore for DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) schemes. This is a jump of 10% from last year’s 48,882 crore.
It may be noted that this is the last full budget the ruling YSRC has presented ahead of the Assembly elections in 2024.Of the total Rs 54,228 crore, lion’s share of Rs 38,605 crore was allocated for the welfare of Backward Classes (BC), up from Rs 29,143 crore in 2022-23. Emphasis was also given to components as the government allocated Rs 20,005 crore under SC component, up from Rs 18,518.29 crore in the previous fiscal.
While Rs 6,929 crore was allocated under the ST component, a jump from Rs 6,144.90 crore in FY 2022-23, a sum of Rs 4,203 crore was earmarked for the Minority component as against Rs 3,661.84 last year.Sticking with the party’s poll promise to hike pension from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 in a phased manner, allocation for YSR Pension Kanuka was hiked to Rs 21,434.72 crore from Rs 18,002.35 crore.
Similarly, allocations for other schemes also saw a jump.
Stating that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced welfare schemes under ‘Navaratnalu’ in the YSRC manifesto and began implementing them immediately after coming to power in 2019, the ruling party leaders asserted that the government is keen on effective implementation of welfare schemes.
Observing that welfare was provided to the people despite the pandemic and the precarious financial situation, they exuded confidence that the hike in budgetary allocation for DBT schemes will ensure welfare is distributed in a seamless manner in the election year.
