Highlights of Andhra Pradesh state budget for 2018-2019

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu presented the budget for the financial year 2018-19 in the Assembly on Thursday.

He spoke about the Vision 2022, 2029 and 2050 and the commitment of the government towards different welfare measures. He also spoke about an increased allocation towards uplifting the farming community, healthcare and towards establishing a knowledge economy by introducing the latest technology to educational pedagogies.

“It is important to note that I am proposing a revenue surplus budget for the year 2018-19 anticipating that the Government of India would release all the dues as per the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 at least this year.”

The receipts on revenue account during the year 2018-19 are estimated at Rs 1,55,507.23 crore as against Rs 1,23,254.01 crore during 2017-18 (revised estimate). The expenditure is estimated to be Rs 1,50,271.99 crore as against the expenditure of Rs 1,27272.02 crore during 2017-18 (revised estimate). The estimate for 2018-19 reveals a revenue surplus of Rs 5,235.24 crore.

Welfare

In addition to the marriage assistance amounts under the Giriputrikakalyana Padhakam for brides in ST and Minority communities, the finance minister proposed to allocate Rs 100 crore to assist brides of SC and BC communities through the Chandranna Pelli Kanukascheme.

There will be a 25 per cent increase in pre- and post-matric scholarships, reimbursement of tuition fees (RTF), NTR Vidhyonnathi, NTR VidesiVidyaadarana, hostels, residential schools and colleges and BC studying circles. For this, he has proposed Rs 2,165 crore as against Rs 1,732 crore in 2017-18.

For assisting Kapu community students, Rs 400 crore will be allocated and for Economically Backward Classes, Rs 700 crore is proposed towards RTF.

It is proposed to implement the ‘Aadarana’ scheme for providing financial assistance to artisans of BCs for acquiring modern handset tools and gadgets for sustained income generation and economic development. The proposed outlay is Rs 750 crore.

The Finance Minister also proposed to enhance the budget allocation for welfare of the backward classes including the Most Backward Classes from Rs 3,316 crore to Rs 4,477 crore, an increase of 35%. “I also propose to provide Rs 30 crore for the welfare of Vysyas and Rs 1,000 crore for the welfare of Kapus.”

Committed to their welfare, the government intends to procure all material produced by them and supply it to the poor and needy at 50% subsidy under Janata Vastraalu. Towards this and other welfare schemes, the allocation has been increased nearly ten times to Rs 200 crore. Rs 42 crore is proposed towards yarn subsidy for silk weavers.

It is proposed to provide mechanised boats, nets and diesel at subsidised rates to improve the income of both inland and marine fishermen. There has been a six fold increase from Rs 12 crore to Rs 77 crore towards this. The Finance Minister also said that due to the difficulty of carrying on their occupation after the age of 50, he proposed to make them eligible for social security pensions from the age of 50.

Other allocations

Rs 70 crore for the Rajaka community, to enhance their livelihood through infrastructural support and skill development. This proposition will increase the allocation 100 fold from the last financial year.

Rs 40 crore for the Dudekula community,

Rs 35 crore for the Nayee Brahmanas,

Rs 100 crore to the AP Corporation for Welfare and Development of Most Backward Classes,

Rs 70 crore for toddy tappers,

Rs 50 crore for the Valmiki/Boya community,

Rs 50 crore for the Vaddera community,

Rs 50 crore for the Viswa Brahmins,

Rs 50 crore for the Salivahanas,

Rs 40 crore for the Uppara community,

Rs 30 crore for the Medaras community and

Rs 25 crore for the Pusala/Krishna Balija community.

Social Welfare

In 1,067 hostels, the government supports boarding, shelter and education of 97,930 students. The AP Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society provides education 1,07,597 children in 188 institutions with consistently good results. The allocation will increase by 40% to Rs 1,050 crore.

Rs 901 crore will be allocated to provide financial assistance to Scheduled Castes as subsidy component for Economic Support Schemes,

Rs 60 crore to provide modern workshops to cobblers,

Rs 40 crore to LIDCAP to support the small scale leather industries and

Rs 12 crore for Dappu artists.

In 2017-18, Rs 9,847 crore were allocated to 22 departments for the Schedule Caste Component. This will be enhanced to Rs 11,228 crore.

Tribal Welfare

44,365 ST students are studying in 184 Gurukulams from Class I to Intermediate. The government has also converted 179 hostels into 80 residential schools and 30 ashram schools, and 14,923 ST students have been brought under the Residential Education Mode. The Finance Minister proposed to increase the allocation from Rs 100 crore to Rs 250 crore for the construction of residential school complexes and from Rs 524 crore to 670 crore for Tribal Welfare Residential Schools. Rs 262 crore will be allocated to provide Economic Support Schemes and Skill Development Programmes to the ST community.

“The government is determined to deploy the latest technological advancements for providing access to triple play services in all gram panchayats in the tribal area during 2018-19”, he said. He proposed an amount of Rs 90 crore for viability gap assistance for broad connectivity in those areas.

Minority Welfare

For the Overseas Education Scheme, the allocation is proposed to increase from Rs 5 crore to Rs 30 crore.

Rs 80 crore for the Dulhan Scheme,

Rs 75 crore as incentives to Imams and Mouzams, from Rs 24 crore,

Rs 150 crore for Bank-linked Income Generated Schemes and

Rs 75 crore for Christian Minorities, from Rs 35 crore.

The overall allocated amount for Minority Welfare in 2018-19 is Rs 1,102 crore.

In an effort to give increased focus to address malnutrition amongst women and children, he proposed to allocate Rs 383 crore for a new scheme, Special Nutrition for Malnourished Children and Mothers.

Implementation of Anna Amrutha Hastham has been expanded from 107 to all 257 ICDS projects in the state to reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR). Rs 1,016 crore for the Nutrition Programme is proposed, which is almost doubling last year’s allocation.

Rs 100 crore for provide sanitary napkins to adolescent girls and SHG women,

Rs 35 crore for the Prosthetics Aids Programme

Rs 30 crore for economic rehabilitation for the differently abled,

The overall allocation for the Differently Abled is proposed to be Rs 121 crore.

Rs 20 crore is proposed to be allocated for the upliftment of the transgender community, to implement the newly formulated Transgender Policy.

Rs 3,008 crore will be allocated for the Women, Children, Differently Abled, Transgender and Senior Citizens department, which is 70% more than the last financial year.

Youth Advancement

Rs 1,000 crore is proposed to be allocated for the Youth Policy, which is in alignment with Sunrise Andhra Pradesh Vision 2029.

Rs 305 crore for the implementation Youth Welfare Schemes

The overall allocation is Rs 1,307 crore, which is 68% from the last fiscal year.

Housing

 “Government of Andhra Pradesh is committed to provide housing for all by 2022”, said Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu.

2,70,000 houses have been completed up to the end of February 2018. Under NTR Urban Housing (BLC), 1,25,000 houses are under construction with the BLC Component of PMAY. Another 4,50,000 houses are under various stages of construction under NTR Rural Housing.

The government intends to provide pucca housing for every poor person in urban areas by 2022, and has taken up construction of 9 lakh houses. Rs 1,000 crore has been proposed to be granted to the implementing agency, APTIDCO, for the repayment of loans and Rs 575 crore for distribution of house sites to the needy.

An overall allocation of Rs 4,752 crore is proposed for Housing, which is more than three times the allocated amount last year.

Elimination of Poverty

Rs 5,000 crore for NTR Pension Scheme,

Rs 1,463 crore for Vaddileni Runalu,

Rs 1,700 crore towards capital infusion for SHG women and

Rs 100 crore for Streenidhi.

So far, 2,398 SHG entrepreneurs have been trained and provided with financial support of Rs 9.15 crore.

Healthcare

Due to the high incidence of kidney ailments in Srikakulam, 14 dialysis centres will be established in the district to provide relief.

An overall allocation of Rs 8,463 crore is proposed for the Health sector, which is 21% more than the last year.

Human Resource Development

Rs 160 crore has been proposed for the Badikosta programme for providing bicycle to girls studying in 8th and 9th class.

Rs 117 crore has been proposed under Digital Classrooms scheme to cover schools and colleges,

Rs 100 crore to maintain hygienic toilets in schools,

Rs 377 crore to run Model Schools,

Rs 266 crore for increasing number of eggs served in Mid-day meals,

Rs 23 crore to extend the Mid-day meals to Intermediate,

Rs 21,612 crore for secondary education, as against Rs 17,952 crore in 2017-18 and

An overall allocation of Rs 2,835 crore to higher education.