AP Budget 2021: Social Welfare Gets Priority, Agriculture and Education Follow

Amaravati, May 20: Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Buggana Rajendernath presented the annual budget for the year 2021-22 with an outlay of Rs 2,29,779. 27 crore giving priority to welfare and also dovetailing development with due vigor.

 For the first time, for FY 2021-22, Gender Budget with a total outlay of Rs 47,283.21 crores and Child budget with a total outlay of Rs 16, 748.47 crores were also tabled.

Presenting his third budget in a row, the Finance Minister said the total outlay of the budget was Rs 2,29,779.27 crores with social welfare taking a lion’s share followed by agriculture and health sectors along with water resources sectors in tune with the policies and priorities of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy governance. The revenue expenditure was pegged at 1.82 lakh crores while the capital expenditure has been estimated at Rs 31,198.38 crores. The estimated revenue deficit is around Rs.5,000.05 crores, and the Fiscal Deficit is estimated at around Rs. 37029.79 crore.

Welfare has got the maximum allocation, while agriculture was allocated Rs 11,210.80 crores and Medical and Health got Rs 13,830.44 crores, and water resources were given Rs 13,237.78 crores which reflects the tone of the budget.

Under Agriculture budget, tabled by Minister K Kannababu,  of 31,256.55 crore, which is 13.6 percent of the total allocation 11,210 crores is allotted for Agriculture schemes which include YSR Rytu Bharosa, YSR - PM Safal Bhima Yojana, Sub Mission on Agriculture Mechanization, Price stabilization fund, YSR Agri testing labs, ex-gratia to farmers and others, Rs 8,116.16 crore was allotted towards MGNREGA works, and the agriculture budget also includes Rs 2,000 crores disaster management fund and Rs 13,238.78 crore for irrigation.

The sub-plan for Scheduled Castes for the year is Rs 17,403.14crores, for Scheduled Tribes is Rs 6,131.24 crores, for BCs it is Rs 28,237.65 crores, and for Minorities, it is Rs 3,840.72 crores. For Kapu welfare, it's Rs 3,306 crore, and Rs 5,478 crores for EBC welfare was allocated.

On the Education front, School and Intermediate Education, where Amma Vodi is applicable, Jagananna Vidya Kanuka, Jagananna Goru Mudha, get RS 24,624 crores, while higher education includes Jagananna Vidya Deevena and Jagananna Vasati Deevena was allocated Rs 1,973.16 crores. For Nadu Nedu Mana Badi, Rs 3,500 crores were allocated for the year.

The Health sector was allotted Rs 13,830.44 which includes, YSR Aarogyasri, Nadu Nedu hospitals, setting up of kidney research center and super specialty hospital at Palasa,104 and 108 services, assistance to APVVP, combating COVID-19, Covid Vaccination, and others.

 On the development and infrastructure front, Rs 3,763. 34 crores for industrial development. Rs. 7594.06 crore was allotted towards Transport, Roads and Buildings Department and 6,637.24 crores for the energy sector.

For Housing and Infrastructure, Rs 5,661.57 crore was allotted, and Rs 865 Cr towards zero-interest loans for SHG women, YSR Pension Kanuka gets 17,000 crores, YSR Cheyutha gets Rs 4,445 crores, and YSR Aasara gets Rs 6,337 crores. Jagananna Vidya Deevena and Jagananna Vasathi Devena gets Rs 5,723.15 crores.

Other allocations include Vahana Mitra (Rs 285 crores), YSR Nethanna Nestham (Rs 190 crores), EBC Nestham (Rs 500 crores), Jagananna Chedodu (Rs 3,00 crores) Kapu Nestham (Rs 500 crores), YSR Law Nestham Rs 16.64 crores), Rural Development 18, 580.70 crores, Urban Development (Rs 8,727.08 crores).