The Andhra Pradesh Government has spent as much as Rs 5.20 lakh crores during the past four years on various development and welfare schemes during the past four years and has also managed to achieve annual growth rate of 10.5 per cent on the aggregate in spite of all the severe handicaps in the wake of bifurcation of the State, according to State Finance Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu.

Briefing the media in the state secretariat at Amaravati on Friday, he said the State was in a bad shape when the Telugu Desam Government assumed charge in 2014 in the aftermath of bifurcation. "In spite of all the handicaps, and very little assistance from the Union Government, we have fared very well. But unfortunately the Opposition parties are carrying on a motivated propaganda," he alleged.

He claimed that no scheme had suffered for want of funds, and in fact on many schemes more money had been spent than the allocation in the State Budget.

However, he said, during the four-year period the Centre had given only Rs 12,879 crores in the form of special assistance, which was grossly inadequate, and even the issue of bridging the revenue deficit had not been resolved. The State should get, according to him, Rs 12,000 crores more. There is a dispute between the Centre and the State on the method of calculating the deficit.

On the question of bringing the petroleum products under the GST regime, Ramakrishnudu said the State would oppose any such proposal. He also found fault with the Centre for not reducing the customs duty on petro products and at the same expecting the States to reduce the VAT. The Centre should have cut the tax, if it really wanted to give relief to the common people, he added.

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