AP budget must reflect dire straits of state finances: Chandrababu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is a cautious person now. Once bitten, twice shy, Chandrababu does not want any goof ups in the state budget, after the debacle of ’special status' in the Union budget.

During the review meetings on the state budget, he directed state finance officials to ensure that the state Budget for the financial year 2015-16 is realistic and only growth engines should be allotted sufficient funds.

The budget session commences on March 7 and the Governor will address both Houses of the AP Assembly almost on the heels of the budget session of the Telangana Assembly commencing on the same day.

Naidu who sat with ministers and finance department officials on Sunday and reviewed the preparation of the state Budget and Governor’s speech told the officials to make special mention of the challenges faced by AP after the bifurcation in the Governor’s speech and how the government is making all out efforts to overcome them.

He also said the assurances given to the people in Telugu Desam’s election manifesto, his own assurances, the programmes and schemes implemented by the government in the last eight months, and the ones to be implemented in the next financial year should be mentioned in the Governor’s speech. It should also include the observations made by the 14th Finance Commission about the revenue deficit of AP to prolong even after 5 years.

In an effort to plug the hostile attacks by the YSRC led opposition in the assembly, Chandrababu Naidu wanted both the Budget and Governor’s speech to reflect the heavy deficit, unfriendly postures from all around and the state government’s efforts in transforming the development trajectory of AP’s 13 districts.