Unrealistic, hopeless budget: Shabbir Ali

Hyderabad, March 11 (INN): Deputy CLP leader in Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir has described the Telangana's Budget for the financial year 2015-16 as unrealistic and completely hopeless.

Speaking to media persons at Legislative Council's media point after the presentation of budget in the council by Deputy CM Kadiam Srihari on Wednesday, Shabbir Ali said the figure of Rs 115,689 crore sounds good, but it is very far from reality. He said that the government presented a similar budget of Rs 100,637 Crore for the financial year 2014-15. But it did not spent even 50 per cent of the total allocations. The figure of more than Rs 1 lakh crore is being used only to mislead the people.

Shabbir Ali said that Finance Minster Etala Rajender did not explain the sources through which he plans to raise the amount to spend Rs 63,306 Crore under Plan and Rs 52,383 Crore under Non-Plan. He also ridiculed the claim that it was a Rs 531 Crore Surplus budget. He said similar claim was made in 2014-15 of having a surplus budget of Rs 301 crore. He said that the Telangana got only 65% of funds under Plan and only 14% of amounts under Non-Plan towards Central Assistance. The Finance Minister did not elaborate on the injustice done to Telangana by the 14th Finance Commission. Further, claims of Telangana being a revenue surplus State would prompt the Centre from releasing funds.

The Congress leader said that the Finance Minister has admitted that the Agriculture Sector has registered a negative growth of 10.30%. While the production of food grains got reduced by 19%, the oil seeds productions dipped by 11%. Since Telangana is an agrarian State, this will have a multiplier impact on the entire economy. However, these factors were completely ignored in the budget speech, he said.

"At one side, TRS Government is describing Telangana as a revenue surplus State. On the other, it allocated only Rs 4,250 crore towards second installment of crop loan waiver scheme. The government should clear the entire amount of crop loans in one take and provide total relief to the farmers," he said. Further, he said no amount has been allocated for the families of farmers who committed suicide. He said that total provision of Rs 8,432 crore for Agriculture and Allied Sector was insufficient.

Speaking about the welfare, he said although there has been a marginal increase in the budget for almost all sectors, the Finance Minister did not promise that the unspent amount of previous budget would be carried forward. He said almost 75% of the amount allocated in 2014-15 for the welfare of SC, ST, BC and Minorities have remained unspent. He reminded that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had assured in the Legislative Council that the government would carry forward all the unspent amounts in next budget. However, the budget speech is silent about that assurance.

He also slammed the State Government for making no mention of providing 12% reservation for Muslims and Scheduled Tribes.

The former Energy Minister also slammed Etala for allocating just Rs 7,400 crore for the energy sector although the government is proposing to add 19,355 MW of power by 2018. It takes huge investments and at least four-five years to set up a power plant. With mere allocations, the government will not be able to achieve its target. Referring to the speech made by the Chief Minister in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, he challenged KCR to provide nine hour power supply to farmers besides addressing the needs of industrial, domestic and other sectors. "No major change will happen till March 2016 and KCR's promise will fail. Let the Chief Minister accept my challenge and prove me wrong," he said.