Heaving a sigh of relief from the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic, Telangana State Finance Minister T Harish Rao has on Monday presented a ₹2.56 lakh crore budget for the financial year 2022-23, up from last year’s budget of ₹2.31-lakh crore.

In his third budget presentation, Harish Rao, who described it as `KCR Mark Budget’ , said the revenue expenditure and capital expenditure at ₹1,89,274 crore and ₹29,724 crore respecively. In FY22, they were at ₹1.69-lakh crore and ₹29,046 respectively. 

Harish Rao alleged that the discrimantion of the State by the Centre even though Telangana was a pioneer in development in key economic parameters in the country. 

Pegging the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth rate for 2021-22 at 11.2 per cent at constant prices, Rao said the growth in the State was much higher than the national average which was at 8.9 per cent.

Per capita income

“The per capita income in the State during 2021-22 was ₹2,78,833 which was 86 per cent higher than the national average in the same period which was at ₹1,49,848,’‘ the minister said adding that Telangana had topped all Southern States in growth and per capita income. 

Despite Covid-19 pandemic, the IT exports from Telagnana increased by 12.98 per cent in 2021-22. “Out of 10 new jobs in IT sector in the country, three are being created in Telangana,’‘ the Minister said.

There are 1,500 IT firms in Hyderabad including global majors with a total direct employment of 6.29 lakh professionals, he added.

Key allocations

The State government has given primacy to development schemes and agriculture, among others. “Telagnana Government accords a Lion’s Share to the welfare in the budget as always,’‘ Rao said. The flagship welfare scheme for the backward sections of the Society, Dalita Bandhu has been allocated ₹17,700 crore compared to ₹1,000 crore in the previous budget.

While agriculture has been allocated with ₹24,254 crore, ₹22,675 crore has been allocated for irrigation. Agricultural loans of farmers up to ₹50,000 will be waived before end of March this year. while loans up to ₹75,000 will be waived during the next financial year, the minster said. 

As part of focus on strengthening public health infrastructure and medical education, government medical colleges will be set up in all districts by 2023. ₹1,000 crore has been allocated for this purpose, the minister said.

Government will set up Telagnana Mahila University will also be set up at ₹100 crore.

Discrimination

Alleging serious discrimination by the Centre, Rao said: ‘The Centre began its attack on Telangana right after its creation by addding seven mandalams in Khammam to Andhra Pradesh because of which we lost Seleru project. The ITIR is being implemented in the State which would have given a boost to the IT sector in the State. 

Stating that ₹5,386 crore grants which were due to the State were not released by the Centre, the Minister said though there are nine backward districts in the State, no assistance had come from the Centre. The State did not receive a special grant of ₹723 crore recommended by the 15th Finance Commission for the year 2020-21, he added.

The centre was also neglecting the `rightful’ claims in inter-state water disputes, Rao alleged. 

Suspension

Three BJP members, Raja Singh, Etela Rajender and Raghunandan were suspended from the Budget session as they were obsructing the proceedings of the house.

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