Andhra Pradesh Budget 2018-19 Highlights: Focus on education, villages amid demand for Special Status

Andhra Pradesh Budget 2018-19 Highlights: Amid the ongoing tussle with the Centre over Special Category Status (SCS) demand for Andhra Pradesh, the state’s finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu today presented a Rs 1.91-lakh-crore budget, and projected a revenue surplus of Rs 5,235 crore, for the financial year 2018-19. Ramakrishnudu said the government has vowed to make “every citizen in this state a happy person.” The minister said, “A happy state is to be built on the pillars of sustainable and equitable socio-economic development, environment conservation, preservation and promotion of culture and, last but not the least, good governance.”

The minister said that the state is at “crossroads” because of ” increasing indifference of the Central government in extending our entitlements as per the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 and the assurances made by the then Prime Minister on the floor of Rajya Sabha (in February 2014).”

However, the finance minister expressed hope that steps taken by the state government would take Andhra Pradesh forward and help maintain high growth rate. “AP is the only state that has the power and knowledge to create an ecosystem of the knowledge economy that is innovative and futuristic,” the finance minister was quoted as saying by PTI.

• Rs 1.91-lakh-crore budget for 2018-19 is around 21.69 per cent higher than Rs 1.56 lakh crore budget of 2017-18.
• Andhra’s fiscal deficit expected to touch Rs 24,205 crore. This is over Rs 3,000 crore less than 2017-18.
• Per capita income of state increased to Rs 1,42,054 in 2017-18, which is a 14.87 per cent jump Rs 1,23,664 in 2016-17
• Focus on Education, rural development: Rs 24,185 crore allocated for education; 20,815 crore for rural development.
• Welfare scheme: Rs 13,722 crore allocated for welfare schemes, which is an increase of 20.78 per cent.
• Irrigation gets Rs 16,978 crore; agriculture and allied services – Rs 12,355 crore.
• Allocations to government departments and specific schemes hiked substantially, a year before general elections in April next year.
• Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister said, “In 2018-19, I propose a revenue expenditure of Rs 1.50 lakh crore (an increase of 19.35 per cent) and a capital expenditure of Rs 28,678 crore (an increase of 30.60 per cent), including Rs 9,351 crore towards principal repayment of public debt.” He added, “We are at the crossroads of development and deficit, perpetuated by the increasing indifference of the Central government in extending our entitlements as per the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 and the assurances made by the then Prime Minister on the floor of Rajya Sabha (in February 2014).”