Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh government has expressed its unhappiness and great disappointment over the budget allocations made by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Talking to media after the TDP politburo meeting chaired by N Chandrababu Naidu, Finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said that the Central government did not address the issues raised by them. The budget had failed to satisfy the hopes of Andhra Pradesh.
He said the Delhi leaders failed to protect the interests of AP. It had failed to allocate funds for major projects. He said the politburo felt that the Centre did not take measures to extend a helping hand to the state as per the AP State Reorganisation Act. The Minister said apart from meager allocation of Rs 100 crore to Polavaram project there was no mention of Special Status and railway zone.
The funds given for Central educational institutions was welcome but it does not help the cash strapped state government in any way, he felt. The finances of the state government are bad and it was facing a revenue deficit and the budget does not indicate anything as to how the Centre would come to the rescue of the new state.
When asked if that were the situation why Union Minister YSujana Chowdary hailed the budget, Ramakrishnudu said it must be because he is part of the Union Cabinet. Rs 100 crore for Polavaram, he felt was a pittance. Though the Centre says that it will work out a scheme to give generous funds for Polavaram there was no intention of it expressed in the budget.
He said this was the initial reaction of the government and the party leadership would meet again in next couple of days and will decide its future course of action. He said the government would do all that was necessary to extract all that the state has to get as per the AP State Reorganisation Act.
