HYDERABAD: Though the economic slowdown has hit the state’s revenues, the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led government has not cowed down by it and instead enhanced budgetary allocations for many of its flagship welfare schemes, which the pink party feels paved for its victories in election after election in the last six years.
Though budgetary allocations were reduced for some welfare sectors such as Most Backward Classes Corporation (MBC) from Rs 1,000 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 500 crore in the 2020-21 budget, the allocation for Rythu Bandhu, Kalyana Lakshmi for backward classes, crop loan waiver and Aasara pensions schemes which TRS feels gave it huge mandate in elections have got enhanced allocations.
Allocation for Rythu Bandhu scheme, under which farmers get Rs 10,000 per acre per annum towards agriculture input cost, has been enhanced from Rs 12,000 crore in the 2019-20 budget to Rs 14,000 crore in 2020-21. The Rs 2,000 crore enhancement was due to anticipated increase in number of beneficiaries under Rythu Bandhu.
Even the budget for Kalyana Lakshmi scheme to the backward classes has been enhanced by Rs 650 crore. The allocations for Aasara, a pension scheme for the aged, was increased by Rs 2,356 crore to extend sop to new beneficiaries under the age-group of 57 years to 65 years.
As against an allocation of Rs 9,402 crore for Aasara pensions in 2019-20, Rs 11,758 crore was allocated in the 2020-21 budget. In fact, finance minister T Harish Rao announced that Aasara pension for new beneficiaries would be given from the 2020-21 fiscal. The budget for animal husbandry and fisheries department was increased from Rs 602 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 1,586 crore in the 2020-21 fiscal.
The TRS government had spent Rs 16,124 crore towards crop loan waiver scheme in its first term (2014-2018). In its second term, the TRS government would require Rs 25,936 crore to implement the loan waiver promise. The state finance minister announced that they would release Rs 1,198 crore in March itself to waive the crop loans below Rs 25,000 each taken by 5.83 lakh farmers. As against Rs 6,000 crore allocated for crop loan waiver in 2019-20, the government has allocated Rs 6,225 crore in the 2020-21 budget with a promise to implement it in four instalments.
Though Harish Rao announced that the budget allocation for minority welfare was Rs 1,518 crore for the 2020-21 fiscal as against Rs 1,369 crore in 2019-20, sources said the minority welfare budget has actually been reduced by over Rs 480 crore. The government had allocated Rs 2,004 crore in the 2019-20 budget for minority welfare and later revised it to Rs 1,369 crore, the sources added.
Though budgetary allocations were reduced for some welfare sectors such as Most Backward Classes Corporation (MBC) from Rs 1,000 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 500 crore in the 2020-21 budget, the allocation for Rythu Bandhu, Kalyana Lakshmi for backward classes, crop loan waiver and Aasara pensions schemes which TRS feels gave it huge mandate in elections have got enhanced allocations.
Allocation for Rythu Bandhu scheme, under which farmers get Rs 10,000 per acre per annum towards agriculture input cost, has been enhanced from Rs 12,000 crore in the 2019-20 budget to Rs 14,000 crore in 2020-21. The Rs 2,000 crore enhancement was due to anticipated increase in number of beneficiaries under Rythu Bandhu.
Even the budget for Kalyana Lakshmi scheme to the backward classes has been enhanced by Rs 650 crore. The allocations for Aasara, a pension scheme for the aged, was increased by Rs 2,356 crore to extend sop to new beneficiaries under the age-group of 57 years to 65 years.
As against an allocation of Rs 9,402 crore for Aasara pensions in 2019-20, Rs 11,758 crore was allocated in the 2020-21 budget. In fact, finance minister T Harish Rao announced that Aasara pension for new beneficiaries would be given from the 2020-21 fiscal. The budget for animal husbandry and fisheries department was increased from Rs 602 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 1,586 crore in the 2020-21 fiscal.
The TRS government had spent Rs 16,124 crore towards crop loan waiver scheme in its first term (2014-2018). In its second term, the TRS government would require Rs 25,936 crore to implement the loan waiver promise. The state finance minister announced that they would release Rs 1,198 crore in March itself to waive the crop loans below Rs 25,000 each taken by 5.83 lakh farmers. As against Rs 6,000 crore allocated for crop loan waiver in 2019-20, the government has allocated Rs 6,225 crore in the 2020-21 budget with a promise to implement it in four instalments.
Though Harish Rao announced that the budget allocation for minority welfare was Rs 1,518 crore for the 2020-21 fiscal as against Rs 1,369 crore in 2019-20, sources said the minority welfare budget has actually been reduced by over Rs 480 crore. The government had allocated Rs 2,004 crore in the 2019-20 budget for minority welfare and later revised it to Rs 1,369 crore, the sources added.
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