South Indian States get lesser revenue from Centre

Amaravati: Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said on Tuesday that the South Indian States were getting lesser revenue from the Union government compared to their counterparts in North India. 

He pointed out that the South Indian states were paying more taxes but getting lesser share. He made this statement in the Legislative Council while replying to the debate on the State budget. 

Yanamala Ramakrishnudu informed the House that among the South Indian States - Andhra Pradesh gets Rs 33,929 crore from the Centre, Karnataka Rs 35,000 crore, Tamil Nadu Rs 19,207 crore and Kerala Rs 19,703 crore as per the 14th Finance commission allocations. North Indian States like MP got Rs 59,000 crore, Bihar Rs 76,000 crore, UP Rs 1.41 lakh crore and Maharashtra Rs 43,000 crore.

Referring to the Special Category Status, the Finance Minister said the Union government must accord the SCS as per the AP Reorganisation Act. Giving details of loans and economic status of the State, he said the State had obtained loans worth Rs 65,755 crore in three years and it can get loan of another Rs 29,605 crore in the current financial year.

He said all States in India are obtaining loans to meet their needs. He said how the States are spending the loans is very important. He said the Central schemes turned into a burden on the State and felt that the Centre should bear more percentage of expenditure to help in implementation of the welfare schemes.

He said the Union government must have faith in the States and added that the States were not surviving at the mercy of the Central government.  He reiterated the demand for sanction of the Special Category Status and implementation of other assurances made in the in bifurcation Act. He said the State yet to receive Rs 12,000 crore revenue deficit from the Union government.