Keshav slams YSRCP for destroying economy

Vijayawada: Finance minister Payyavula Keshav said YSRCP is more harmful to state as its government earlier completely destroyed the economy and systems.

Speaking in Assembly on Tuesday, the minister said the YSRCP MLAs failed to attend the Assembly sessions and were resorting to false propaganda on budget from outside. It is the duty of the current government to explain to people as to how the YSRCP government had resorted to destruction of economy in the state, he added.

“Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been striving hard to bring the state on to track and restore economy by consulting economists. The NDA government is ready to extend more welfare schemes, but mismanagement of finances by the YSRCP government is causing hurdles to the present government. YSRCP MLAs are alleging that they are not getting time to air their views in House. If they attend the session, the TDP MLAs will sacrifice their time to give scope for YSRCP MLAs to raise their voice in the House,” the finance minister said.

Keshav said that the revenue came down in the past five years and Rs 52,080 crore was due from Central government in the form of taxes. The AP government has to pay interest to the tune of Rs 65,962 crore per year. The state income and Central government’s assistance stand at 1,54,065 crore. He said the growth rate came down by three per cent during the past five years of YSRCP rule. If the state achieved three per cent growth rate, the state would have got additional income of Rs 76,195 crore.

The finance minister said that the previous YSRCP government diverted the Central funds resulting in stoppage of 95 Central schemes. After the NDA government came to power, 77 Central schemes were revived as the state government released its share of Rs 8,695 crore.

He said the state government was committed to both welfare and development. He said Rs 9,400 crore was allocated for Talliki Vandanam scheme and Rs 9,400 crore for Annadata Sukheebhava scheme. The state government allocated Rs 300 crore towards price stabilisation fund to protect the interests of farmers and spent Rs 164 crore so far. He said the state government introduced whatsApp governance and extending 150 civic services to people through it.