Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said on Thursday that the State would present a comparative study of budgets of all the Southern states, including Odisha, to present its case to the Centre to seek more funds.

Addressing a press conference, he said that earlier the State had represented its case before the 14th Finance Commission as well as the Center, that revenue and fiscal deficits would hurt its interest and would have a negative impact.

It was for this it had sought additional funds, including early implementation of the assurances given in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act-2014. However, the Center held an opinion that the devolution of 42 per cent of the central taxes would greatly help the State.

However, the situation of Andhra Pradesh is different, and even after the end of 14th Finance Commission, the State would remain a deficit on revenue and fiscal fronts, the minister added.It was against this background, which now, as all most all the states in the Southern India has been presenting their budgets, post devolution of the 42 per cent of the taxes of the Centre.

Now, it would make the case of Andhra Pradesh clear that where it stands vis-a-vis other Southern states like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and even for that matter Odisha.This would strengthen our case that the State is in need of more cooperation to come out of the red, which was caused due to the bifurcation of the State, and to demand that the Center create a level-playing field for the State to put its economy and development on the tracks, he pointed out. 

Source: THI