Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy, criticized the Telangana State Budget for 2024-25 presented in the State Assembly on Thursday. He described it as speculative and a mere juggling of numbers.
Reddy said the budget showed nothing but the Congress government boasting while failing to fulfill pre-election promises. He noted the lack of provisions for crop investment assistance to farmers, which was promised to be given annually before the farming season.
He also pointed out that the Congress had promised Rs 2,500 per month to women during the election. However, in the budget, the allocation for Dalit welfare has decreased from Rs 21,072 crore to Rs 7,638 crore. Similarly, the allocation for tribal welfare has dropped from Rs 4,365 crore to Rs 3,969 crore.
On a positive note, Reddy mentioned that the minority welfare fund has increased from Rs 2,000 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 3,003 crore in this budget, representing a 30 percent increase in one year.
However, Reddy criticized other omissions in the budget. He noted the absence of mentions of DWCRA loans, Scooties promised to college-going girls, and Rs 5 lakh aid to students under the education fund scheme. He also accused the Congress of failing to fulfill its promise to provide two lakh jobs in a year, which has disappointed the unemployed. Additionally, auto drivers were promised Rs 12,000 to compensate for losses due to the RTC free bus scheme for women, but this was not addressed.
Reddy concluded by stating that the education system in Telangana has suffered over the last ten years due to insufficient budget allocations. He emphasized that at least 15 percent of funds should be allocated to the education sector, but only 7 percent has been allocated. He claimed that both Congress and BRS are similar in pushing the state into a debt trap.
