YSR Congress calls Union Budget 2021 a ‘complete disappointment’

Political parties, including the ruling YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh on Monday lambasted the Union Budget, saying it contained nothing for the state.

The Union governments decision to spend Rs 35,000 crore for the COVID-19 vaccination programme was the sole satisfying point in the whole Budget, the YSRC said.

The main opposition Telugu Desam Party, on the other hand, blasted the YSRC for 'mortgaging' the state's interests to the BJP led Union government and drawing a blank for Andhra Pradesh in the Union Budget.

The Congress called the Budget a "shock to the middle class and the poor".

YSRC parliamentary party leader V Vijayasai Reddy said the Budget was a "complete disappointment" for the state that had been eagerly awaiting central assistance to tide-over the financial difficulties.

"This can be called West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala Budget and not the Union Budget. Given the allocations, we fear the Budget doesn't apply to the rest of the states," Vijayasai Reddy remarked.

"There is no mention about the allocations to the Polavaram multipurpose project or the Metro Rail projects in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. The proposed freight corridors between Khargpur and Vijayawada and Nagpur and Vijayawada are of no real use for the state," he said.

He demanded that the Union government set up one of the four proposed virology centers and also one of the seven major textile parks in Andhra.

The Rajya Sabha member wanted the Union government to enhance the PM Kisan grant from Rs 6,500 to Rs 10,000 each as 65 %of the state's population was dependent on agriculture.

Vijayasai Reddy regretted that not a single new railway project was announced for the state.

TDP spokesman K Pattabhiram wondered what the 28 MPs of the YSRC were doing in New Delhi when the Union government left the state totally high and dry.

"What happened to your tall claims of securing special category status to AP? You could not achieve a single project though several like the Visakhapatnam Railway Zone, Dugarajapatnam port, Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor are pending with the Union government," he said.

While neighbouring Tamil Nadu got Rs 1.03 lakh crore worth road projects, AP drew a blank, he pointed out.

The YSRC MPs failed to secure funds even for the Amaravati-Anantapuramu Expressway, the TDP leader said.

State Congress president S Sailajanath came down heavily on the Union Finance Minister for imposing extra burden on common people by levying extra agricultural cess on diesel and petrol.

"There is no relief for the middle class in any form.Its also shocking for the poor people,” Sailajanath said in a statement.

Jana Sena, an ally of the BJP, however, hailed the Budget saying it gave top priority to healthcare.

"The Union Budget is encouraging. At a time when the economy remained badly hit due to the coronavirus pandemic, the top priority accorded to the healthcare sector is to be hailed," Jana Sena Political Affairs Committee chairman Nadendla Manohar said.