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TDP quit NDA as BJP failed to follow fiscal federalism, says Yanamala
As the BJP-led NDA government failed to follow fiscal federalism, the Telugu Desam Party was forced to exit NDA, said Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu.
Amaravati: As the BJP-led NDA government failed to follow fiscal federalism, the Telugu Desam Party was forced to exit NDA, said Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu.
Speaking on general discussion on the State Budget for 2018-19 in Assembly on Friday, Yanamala said the Union government was damaging fiscal federalism in the country.
“The Centre does not honour the sovereignty of the Andhra Pradesh government in formulating and implementing its own schemes. It deleted the amount spent on DWACRA and farmer loan waiver schemes and loan amount to power DISCOMs from the total amount of revenue deficit. Is there any constitutional power to the Centre to dictate states not to implement their own schemes,” Yanamala asked.
At the same time, the Centre formulates its schemes without consulting the State governments and forces the States to implement them by bearing 40% of total amount, he said. “Centre does not give funds to States or the State government schemes.
It also forces them to bear the burden of Central schemes. As a result, the State have been suffering from fiscal deficit. Centre ignores the demand of the States to cancel the Central schemes,” he said.
Alleging that the BJP-led NDA government cheated its alliance partner TDP intentionally, he said the statement of Union Minister Indrajit Singh in Rajya Sabha on Thursday that the 14th Finance Commission did not recommend not to give Special Category Status to any State was clear evidence to the conspiracy hatched by the TDP against the BJP.
He pointed out that the Centre had given only Rs 34-crore under the Special Package announced to the State and it stands as a proof on how AP was ill-treated by the Centre.
The Finance Minister expressed doubts over sanction of funds in future from the Centre in the wake of the TDP snapping ties with the BJP and coming out of NDA.
“BJP will be held responsible if industries do not come to AP and employment is not created in future. More companies would have come to AP if they were provided industrial incentives under SCS,” he said.
He demanded that the Centre should bear the expenditure on Polavaram Project instead of reimbursing the amount after it was spent by the State government. Explaining on projection of revenue surplus on Budget, Yanamala said it was based on funds expected from the Centre.
“If the Centre gives funds, there would be revenue surplus to states. Otherwise, the revenue deficit will continue in the State,” the Finance Minister pointed out.
