The Andhra Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu will present the State budget for 2015-16 reprioritising certain sectors at 12.15 pm on Thursday.

This will be the first full Budget of the residuary State and is unlikely to see much change from the Rs 1.11 lakh crore Budget presented for 2014-15, as funds allocated for several sectors have not been fully utilised and the tax collections have been lower than estimates.

Given the tough financial position and a huge deficit of Rs 22,000 crore, the Finance Minister is unlikely to increase the size of the budget significantly this year. With the State seeking to prioritise certain sectors, be it education, women development and other social welfare measures, this sector is likely to see higher allocations.

With the Central Budget and the recently approved recommendations of the Fourteenth Finance Commission not seen as too favourable for the State, the Finance Minister would have less flexibility in finalising various sectoral allocations, having to prioritise Governments pet projects.

The Central Governments additional support announced late yesterday of Rs 3,000 crore, which includes Rs 1,000 crore for Polavaram project, chosen as a national project, has come in as a last minute support.

The Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is upset with the inadequate support from the NDA Government in terms of extending finances to develop new capital and rebuilding the new residual state. He plans to take up the issue with the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister for higher allocations once the Budget process in the State concludes.

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