Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, leaders of both TDP and Jana Sena on one side; Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders on the other side are claiming that the center has been providing huge financial support for the development of Andhra Pradesh. They are stating that it was due to crucial support that both TDP and Jana Sena are extending for the central government, after BJP failed to get a majority of Lok Sabha seats on its own.
But the reality is different and only extending megre financial support. In fact, according to the latest figures released by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the state is only getting handouts from the Centre. In the backdrop of the financial year ending, the CAG has recently released the figures till February.
According to the CAG analysis, the state government had estimated that Rs 30,333 crore would come from the Centre in the current financial year for the implementation of schemes and programmes. However, the CAG concluded that only Rs 12,832 crore had been received in 11 months. This means that not even half of the estimated amount had been received.
The CAG confirmed that Rs 1,166 crore had been received per month, according to which the funds received as per the estimate would have been received only if more than Rs 17,000 crore had been received in the last month. According to the calculations made by the Finance Department officials, the funds from the Centre were not as expected in the month of March either.
This is giving the impression that the Centre has shown a stubborn hand to the state in the current financial year. On the other hand, the debt burden is increasing. While it was proposed to take loans of up to Rs. 68,000 crores in the budget, it has crossed Rs. 90,000 crores within 11 months. The deficit has also reached the same level.
According to the latest figures, a revenue deficit of 219 percent has been recorded, while the fiscal deficit has reached 131 percent. While the total revenue for this financial year was estimated to be Rs. 2.69 lakh crore, it has been found that Rs. 2.32 lakh crore has been received including loans in 11 months.
It is noteworthy that only 84 percent of the revenue has come from GST, 58 percent from stamps and registrations, 64 percent from sales tax, and 66 percent from state excise. Though PM Modi promised liberal assistance for Amaravati capital construction, not a single rupee was released during the year.
Though it facilitated external and internal loans, the state government is yet to receive those amounts. At the end, during the present financial year, the state government may be unable to spend a single rupee received through the central government on the capital.
