AP's financial position better than that of Centre's, says Vijayasai

New Delhi: Leader of the YSRCP Parliamentary Party, V Vijayasai Reddy, ridiculed the claim of the Opposition that Andhra Pradesh's finances were in a mess or that it was facing an unviable situation, here on Thursday.

He also questioned the claims of the Centre in this regard asking it to do some introspection in view of its own borrowings. "What would the Centre say about its own borrowings," he asked.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday along with his party MPs, Vijayasai said the claims of former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu were ridiculous in this regard. It was a political assault that required no attention at all.

He said the position of AP was better than that of the Centre in a way as the state was in fifth position as far as GDP was concerned. AP had also vastly improved its exports. However, the state share of the taxes being reimbursed by the Centre had come down. Vijayasai said there was no truth to the claim that 41 per cent share was being given to the state.

Stating that the Centre is doing grave injustice to the states, he said cesses and surcharges were being hiked every year without sharing the benefit or additional income with the states.

While the Centre's borrowings increased by 60 per cent between 2014-19, AP's borrowings swelled by 117 per cent during the period under Naidu's rule. He said from 2019 to till now, the Centre's debts have gone up by 50 per cent while during the rule of the YSRCP in the same period, Andhra Pradesh's debts increased by only 43 per cent.

"Naidu's government, moreover, worked for only five of its leaders' benefit whereas our government is working for the welfare of five crore people," he claimed.

The party leader in Lok Sabha leader P Mithun Reddy said AP's schemes were being studied by others in the country.

Its Rythu Bharosa Kendras, etc., were revolutionary and all the MPs were working together to secure funds for the state under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Safe drinking water was also being provided under Jal Jeevan Mission in the state, he added.