Political parties lambast budget; say nothing it for AP

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

The Centres decision to spend Rs 35,000 crore for theCOVID-19 vaccination programme was the sole satisfying pointin the whole Budget, the YSRC said.

The main opposition Telugu Desam Party, on the otherhand, blasted the YSRC for 'mortgaging' the state's intereststo the Centre and drawing a blank for AP in the Union Budget.

The Congress called the Budget a ''shock to the middleclass and the poor''.

YSRC parliamentary party leader V Vijayasai Reddy saidthe Budget was a ''complete disappointment'' for AP that hadbeen eagerly awaiting central assistance to tide-over thefinancial difficulties.

''This can be called West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu andKerala Budget and not the Union Budget.

Given the allocations, we fear the Budget doesn't applyto the rest of the states,'' Vijayasai Reddy remarked.

''There is no mention about the allocations to thePolavaram multipurpose project or the Metro Rail projects inVisakhapatnam and Vijayawada.

The proposed freight corridors between Khargpur andVijayawada and Nagpur and Vijayawada are of no real use forthe state,'' he said.

He demanded that the Centre set up one of the fourproposed virology centres and also one of the seven majortextile parks in AP.

The Rajya Sabha member wanted the Centre to enhance thePM Kisan grant from Rs 6,500 to Rs 10,000 each as 65 per centof the state's population was dependent on agriculture.

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

TDP spokesman K Pattabhiram wondered what the 28 MPs ofthe YSRC were doing in New Delhi when the Centre left thestate totally high and dry.

''What happened to your tall claims of securing specialcategory status to AP? You could not achieve a single projectthough several like the Visakhapatnam Railway Zone,Dugarajapatnam port, Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor arepending with the Centre,'' he said.

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

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

State Congress president S Sailajanath came down heavilyon the Union Finance Minister for imposing extra burden oncommon people by levying extra agricultural cess on diesel andpetrol.

''There is no relief for the middle class in any form.Itsalso shocking for the poor people, Sailajanath said in astatement.

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

''The Union Budget is encouraging.

At a time when the economy remained badly hit due to thecoronavirus pandemic, the top priority accorded to thehealthcare sector is to be hailed,'' Jana Sena PoliticalAffairs Committee chairman Nadendla Manohar said.