BJP leader terms TS Budget 'damp squib'

Warangal: Warangal Urban Co-operative Bank chairman and BJP leader Errabelli Pradeep Rao called the State Budget 2023 a 'damp squib'. Reacting to the State Budget presented by the Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Monday, Pradeep Rao accused the local BRS leaders of failing to get fund allocations for the development of erstwhile Warangal district.

"Over the decades, several colonies in Warangal city witness a deluge-like situation whenever it rains even moderately. The demand for underground drainage system remained a nonstarter. The internal roads are awful," Pradeep Rao said. The work on Kakatiya Mega Textile Park is moving at a snail's pace with the government failing to allocate funds, he said.

CPI State secretary Takkallapally Srinivasa Rao criticised the government for ignoring allocation to the unemployment allowance. The government failed to construct double bedroom houses for the poor. The financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh per unit which the government announced for the poor people who want to construct houses in their own plots is not enough. It should be at least Rs 5 lakh per unit. Stating that the allocation made crop loan waiver was not adequate, he demanded the government to end the farmers' woes at one-go.

CPM Hanumakonda district secretary Botla Chakrapani criticised the government for not allocating special funds for the free supply of seed and fertilisers to the farmers. He said that the government could have introduced a market intervention scheme to rescue the farmers. More or less, the budget is the jugglery of numbers, he said.

However, Thirunahari Seshu, Faculty of Economics, Kakatiya University, expressed satisfaction over the allocations made to irrigation, education and SC/ST welfare, and said that the government could have focused on the backward classes as well. He found fault with the government for not providing adequate funds for the crop loan waiver. He also expressed dissatisfaction over the budget which didn't mention anything about the unemployment allowance.