Not three, just a single  Budget this year

HYDERABAD: There will only be a single State Budget for the next financial year; separate budgets for agriculture, women and SC/ST sub-plan will be in the form of annexures, said sources in the Finance Department.  

The State government will follow the model of Union Budget, sources added. “Only one speech will be delivered by Finance Minister E Rajender and he will cover the allocations for agriculture and women,” they added. In the previous combined AP government, a separate agriculture budget was presented by the Agriculture Minister with his speech. But, the Telangana government is not keen on different Budget speeches.

The main budget book of the State government would contain the chapters for Agriculture, SC/ST sub-plan and Gender Budget. However, the State is unlikely to create BC Sub-plan.

All expenses relating to farmers including power subsidy given to lift irrigation schemes too would be shown in Agriculture budget, instead of showing it under Irrigation head. Likewise, expenses to be incurred to women including Beedi workers’ pensions, NREGS wages, girl child education etc would be shown under Gender Budget, sources said.