Vijayawada: Buggana Rajendranath Reddy denies payment of Rs 6400 crores to contractors

Vijayawada: Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy has condemned the false propaganda by the Opposition that the government paid Rs 6,400 crore to contractors.

Addressing newsmen here on Friday, the Finance Minister said that it was not true that the government earned more revenue of Rs 30,000 crore this year compared to last year. It was only Rs 5,000 crore, he pointed out.

Admitting that the government had spent Rs 6,400 crore, the Finance Minister elaborated the breakup of the amount stating that Rs 1,505 crore was spent on land acquisition, Rs 1,380 crore for YSR Bharosa pensions, Rs 784 crore for Polavaram and other irrigation projects, Rs 591 crore for grant-in-aid, Rs 578 crore for Genco, Rs 510 crore for fee reimbursement, Rs 324 crore for Aarogyasri, Rs 271 crore for Nabard loan repayment, Rs 132 crore for diet charges, Rs 126 crore for 104 and 105 ambulance services, Rs 107 crore for income tax, Rs 50 crore for sanitation, Rs 27 crore for TA and DA for police personnel and Rs 26 crore for AgriGold victims.

In all, the government spent Rs 6,400 crore, he said wondering whether the Opposition intended not to give these amounts to those people.

The Minister refuted the charges that the purchase of kits was done through a company in which he was director. Challenging them to prove the allegations, he offered to submit resignation by 9 am on Saturday if they proved otherwise they need to quit their posts.