HYDERABAD: Union Coal & Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy described the Budget 2025-26, presented by the Congress government on Wednesday, as a “Budget that looks impressive on paper but fails in implementation.”
Kishan, who is also the president of state BJP, accused the Congress government of misleading the people of Telangana with exaggerated estimates and hollow promises, while the actual allocations and execution have been disappointing.
The Union minister highlighted that the Congress government made grand announcements about implementing its guarantees and welfare schemes but failed to deliver them. “The Budget’s design would make people lose faith in the government’s ability to fulfil its promises. This Budget is nothing but a numbers game aimed at deceiving the people,” he said.
Kishan raised concerns over the discrepancy in GST collection estimates. In the 2024-25 Budget, the government projected GST revenue at Rs 58,594 crore but later revised it to Rs 53,665 crore — a 8.5% drop, he said and demanded that the state government explain the reasons behind the fall in GST revenues.
For the FY 2025-26, the Budget projects Rs 59,704 crore GST revenue which, Kishan Reddy said, appears inflated and unrealistic. “This government has overestimated revenue figures without any proper basis. It reflects the government’s financial mismanagement and lack of understanding of revenue generation,” he said.
Kishan also criticised the government’s ever increasing reliance on liquor sales to boost revenues. He noted that while the previous Budget estimated Rs 25,617 crore from excise taxes, the current Budget projects Rs 27,623 crore — an increase of around 12 per cent.
Meanwhile, BJPLP leader Alleti Maheswar Reddy alleged that the Congress government was enacting a drama and trying to divert people’s attention by mentioning just numbers rather allocating sufficient funds for the welfare schemes and development works. He said that the Congress government was following in the footsteps of the BRS regime with its “overhyped” Budget that will not be of any help for the people.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar described the Budget as an “empty” one that is mainly aimed at misleading the people. “It has been once again proved that the Congress government always comes up with some gimmicks to divert the people’s attention.”