Former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy addressing the media conference at Tadepalli near Vijayawada on Wednesday.
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has alleged that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is spreading lies and propaganda that the State revenues are just enough to meet the expenditure on salaries, pensions etc. It was a conspiracy to escape from the promises Mr. Naidu made as run up to the general elections, Mr. Jagan said. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government headed by Mr. Naidu has miserably failed to deliver the promises it made, and to divert the attention of public, the NDA leaders were blaming the YSRCP, Mr. Jagan said.
Addressing a press conference at the party office on Wednesday, Mr. Jagan pointed out that the salaries and pensions as a per cent of State own resources remain same as 87% in 2019-20 and 2024-25. Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav tried to put forward the argument that the government was unable to implement the programmes as a greater share in the State revenue goes to salaries and pensions.
All these theories were to deceive the people, who were up in the arms against the government for failing to implement the 141 electoral promises, and super six, Mr. Jagan alleged. Either meagre funds were allocated, or nil funds were allocated to the electoral promises, the YSRCP chief alleged. Implementation of the super six promises alone requires ₹79,867 crore, while the allocations were mere ₹17,179 crore, he said. Adabidda Nidhi requires ₹32,000 crore, Nirudyoga Bruthi requires ₹7,200 crore and reduction of pension age to 50 years require ₹9,600 crore. Very small promises such as free bus ride which cost ₹3,000 crore per annum also did not figure in the Budget, Mr. Jagan said, adding that Mr. Naidu has once again proved that he is adept in deceiving the people.
Mr. Naidu used to say that the YSRCP rule in the State had left ₹10 lakh crore debt on the State. But, the Budget documents and Comptroller and Audtor General (CAG) reports point out a different picture altogether. The public debt was ₹2,57,509 crore during the financial year (FY) 2018-19 and it touched ₹4,91,734 crore by FY 2023-24. The government guarantees were ₹55,508 crore during FY 2018-19, and they touched ₹1,54,797 crore by FY 2024-25 as per the Budget documents. The CAG also said that the total liabilities were ₹4,86,151 crore by FY 2023-24, and maximum amount that can be guaranteed was ₹1,54,797 crore. So, the aggregate of government debt and guaranteed debt as on March 31, 2024 was ₹6,46,531 crore and it was ₹3,13,018 crore as on March 2019. “If these are facts, where from ₹10 lakh crore figure has come?” Mr. Jagan asked.
Published – March 05, 2025 08:58 pm IST