Former Finance Minister and YSR Congress leader Buggana Rajendranath Reddy has termed the government’s version on state finances as irresponsible public rhetoric and asked the leaders not to degrade the decorum of House by such blatant and incoherent speeches.
Speaking to media, the former Finance Minister said, the figures told by the government do not add up while the total loan amount varies from person to person even while speaking in the Assembly.
While the loan component during our term was shown in the budget as Rs 6.5 lakh crores Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has told the House, that is over Rs.9.76 lakh crore and Yanamala Ramakrishnudu gave much higher figure in the Legislative Council.
This is irresponsible political rhetoric as there is no concord among the three experienced leaders in state finance. They have been telling that there is a scam behind every scheme though YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had given money to the beneficiaries by DBT in all the schemes.
The State Government on the other hand, has failed to fulfil the Super Six and has only given meagre amount to the Deepam scheme which may cover one free LPG cylinder against the promised three. Be it Adabidda Nidhi, Talliki Andanam, Anna Daatha, Pension, Yuva Galam or free bus for women, they all have been non-starters.
This government which speaks in many voices has been trying to give the impression that the previous government has put the State under huge debt, while the facts and figures speak otherwise, he said and gave a blow by blow clarification on the state finances.
The Chief Minister has added up the corporate loans, public accounts and others to show the figure at Rs 9.76 lakh crore which does not match. Yanamal Ramakrishnudu has made double entries of the corporation loans like Civil Supplies, Power Sector, RTC and others once while they are actually due and the same amount while they have taken loan from banks for the same account. This is juggling of figures, he said adding that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government had much done better that the previous Chandrababu Naidu government on many times and improved the State share in the GDP.
The rate of interest on borrowings were much higher during the previous TDP term than Jagan Mohan Reddy government, he said adding that the loss for DISCOMs were reduced between 2019-24 which shows our financial discipline. We could also bring more funds from the Centre to compensate the revenue deficit, he said.
The revenue receipts fell to 6 percent 2014-19 from 14.4 percent 2009-14 and we recorded 16.7 percent during 2019-24, he said.
It is not a good practice to give political rhetoric in the Assembly as they will go on record and there should be an agreement between the leaders while stating figures and any discrepancy as it happened with the Chief Minister, Finance Minister and others each telling their own versions which do not tally, he said.
