No break in welfare prog despite revenue dip: Finance minister B Rajendranath Reddy

Vijayawada: Finance minister B Rajendranath Reddy said in spite of decreasing revenue due to Covid for two successive years, the state government was implementing welfare schemes and taking up developmental activities. He said the average GSDP growth of Andhra Pradesh is more than that of national average and the state ranked third in exports in the country. He was participating in the discussion on state budget 2022-23 in Legislative Council on Thursday.

Giving details of the revenue, the finance minister said the state government received revenue of only Rs 57,427 crore in 2020-21 as against Rs 74,894 crore in normal times. He said due to Covid, the state revenue had declined for two years. The state earned revenue of Rs 73,683 crore in 2021-22, which would have been Rs 85,575 crore but not for the pandemic, he said, adding that not only Andhra Pradesh but the entire world was affected by Covid.

He said Andhra Pradesh achieved 14.5 per cent growth in agriculture in 2021-22 as against the national average of 9.80 per cent. He recalled that Niti Aayog also praised AP for its achievement in GSDP.

He said Andhra Pradesh registered a growth rate of 18.50 per cent in service sector as against the national average of 14.5 per cent. Industrial growth is on par with national average, he added. Giving details of the Direct Benefit Transfer schemes, Rajendranath Reddy said the state government had deposited Rs 1.32 lakh crore directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries since it came to power.

The finance minister said the state government is spending Rs 43,000 crore for distribution of 30 lakh house sites to the poor in the state. Under the non-DBT scheme, the government spent Rs 1,78,000 crore since coming to power. He said Rs 15,384 crore was sanctioned to medical and health sector in 2022-23 budget and 29,170 crore for the welfare of backward classes.