Andhra Pradesh: Yanamala questions need to skip budget session

Amaravati: The YSRCP government has utterly failed in introducing budget from its formation, said TDP senior leader and politburo member Yanamala Ramakrishnudu in a statement on Monday, reacting to the passing of ordinance by skipping the Budget Session.

On Sunday, the YSRCP government passed a vote-on-account budget that authorises Rs 70,983 crore for the first three months of Financial Year (FY) 2021-22. Passing an ordinance instead of a full budget during a mandatory legislature budget session is not an ordinary practice, he pointed out

All of the government's revenues and loans are kept in the Consolidated Fund of the State. The Constitution states that no money from that fund can be withdrawn unless an appropriation is undertaken. However, appropriation may take longer in which case a vote-on-account is passed, so that in the short-term, the government is able to spend a stipulated amount.

Typically, there is no discussion on vote-on-account and is treated as a formality, which the YSRCP government seems to be taking advantage of. The government has, however, stated that budget meetings could not take place due to gram panchayat and urban local body elections and upcoming Tirupati byelections as the reason behind not conducting the mandatory budget session, he said.

The former finance minister said the YSRCP government has not released a full budget in the Assembly this or the previous year. Previous year, citing Covid-19 as the reason for the ordinance, the government passed the budget in June 2020. In 2019, the TDP had introduced a similar vote-on-account budget. Although, considering it was an election year, it is considered proper that any government not bring new policies that may not be agreeable to the new government post-elections. The YSRCP government has no such credible reasons, only excuses, he said.