As YS Jaganmohan Reddy regime has pushed the state economy into a mess and left over no resources except upto Rs 14 lakh crore debts, besides huge number of pending bills, Chandrababu Naidu government is finding it difficult to locate quantum of pending bills.
Before initiating concrete efforts to settle the economic disorder, the finance ministry has sought details of pending bills from all the departments. To publish a white paper on the economy, Chandrababu Naidu sought details of pending bills, but was unable to get a response from the officials, except irrigation.
But for the last fortnight, it could get only details of over Rs 28,000 crore dues, including Rs 18,000 crore from the irrigation department only. This has been exposing the continuing attitude of negligence in the administration even after change of government. It may be recalled that during the YCP regime, the then ministerial sub-committee officially announced that the pending bills to be given to the employees only Rs.25,000 crores.
The department has officially concluded that there are pending bills of Rs.36,000 crore in the energy department. Those contractors have said in media conferences on many occasions that pending bills of Rs.8,000 crore should come in CRDA. On March 31, 2024, the pending bills lapsed by the Finance Department officials were Rs.50,000 crores.
Bills worth thousands of crores were lapsed on March 31 every year for five years. And why are all these not counted? The pending bills are huge in R&B, Health, Education, Energy, Agriculture, Allied Departments, Urban Development, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj departments. Why are the higher officials of these departments not responding?
There are thousands of petitions related to pending bills in High Court and MSME courts. Along with the details of pending bills, the respective departments should also inform the finance department about the details of court cases. A proforma has been sent to all the departments regarding the pending bills.
After the YCP came to power in 2019, the then Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy released a white paper on the financial affairs during the TDP regime. They said in every press meet for five years that the then TDP government had left Rs 40,000 crore pending bills. Now the pending bills left by the YCP government are more than Rs 1 lakh crore.
However, it is strange that the details are not out. Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav warned that the top officials of that department should be held responsible for pending bills in any department.
