Vote on account fulfills electoral promises
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
The Hans India (23-02-2019)
Chief Minister
K Chandrashekhar Rao presented the Vote-on-Account Budget of the Telangana
State for the year 2019-20 on Friday to the state Assembly. This is the sixth
Budget of the new State of Telangana and first in the second term. His budget
speech for an hour touched
every aspect of Telangana people and to put it in simple words, it is for the
welfare of people. There are special reasons
for Vote-on-Account Budget as detailed by CM in
his speech. He said that once the Union Government introduced the full-fledged
budget after elections the quantum of allocation to each state including
Telangana would be known and hence there would be some clarity.
The
state that came into existence on June 2,2014 as a separate one started its
difficult and challenging journey of rebuilding and reinventing Telangana. The
benedictions of God, support of nature and people helped Telangana to emerge as
a strong and number one state in the country in several aspects.
Within
a period of less than 5 years, Telangana has become a pioneer and a role model
for the entire nation. The Telangana model of inclusive development has become
a buzz word. Today thanks to umpteen welfare and development programs, every
household is benefitted from one programme or other and many more than one.
KCR and his Government had no clue in the beginning with regards
the formulation of budget for the year 2014-2015, the first year the Government
came to power. To identify the major priority
areas in each sector and resources required, the State government constituted
14 task forces. Based on the reports of the task forces, the first Budget of
the Telangana State was presented to the State Legislature on November 5, 2015.
Thus, the first Telangana Budget was a major departure from the past both in
its approach and content, despite not having full comprehension about the
financial position of the State. That Budget was in continuation of the
Vote-on-Account Budget presented by the earlier Government of the undivided
State. The first full-year Budget for 2015-16 was prepared without the benefit
of having estimates for the full 12 months of the previous year.
By the time, the preparation of the
State budget for 2016-17 was underway, the government was able to get a
comprehensive idea about the trends in the State finances. It is only after
the income and expenditure under Plan and Non-Plan schemes from 31st
March 2015 to 31stMarch 2016 was known clearly, the real basis for
Telangana State budget calculation was arrived at. The first-year budget after
formation of Telangana was on ad-hoc calculation based on earlier budgets and
the second-year full-fledged budget is based on some exercise. Subsequently
there was a total understanding and deep study department wise, scheme wise and
priorities wise. Though the Budget for 2016-17 was the third Budget of
the State, it was in a way, the first full-fledged Budget to be prepared after
a comprehensive review of all items of expenditure and a realistic assessment
of resources.
In the process, the fourth consecutive
Budget, for the year 2017-2018, was both inspirational and message oriented.
The Budget reflected the Government’s objective of reaching out to all sections
of people, all those in the hereditary professions, all religions, people
working in various fields, all government departments that are entrusted with
the implementation of development and welfare schemes, lower income as well as
middle income groups and with no exception.
The budget for the year 2018-2019
highlighted as to how the schemes and programs that were under implementation
during the first four years could be standardized, stabilized and consolidated.
This year’s vote-on-account details the happenings during the past five years
and what would happen in the next five years.
CM
in his speech dwelt in detail about every scheme. He said that the Government implements
‘Aasara’ pensions to ensure dignified life to the aged, widows, beedi workers,
single women, filarial patients and the physically challenged. Through the
scheme which brought happiness to several families, the amount that is being
paid till now will now be doubled and eligibility age limit will be reduced to
57.
Chief
Minister mentioned that his Government will introduce the second farm loan
waiver scheme under which, as was done in his first term, outstanding crop
loans of farmers up to Rs. 1 lakh will be taken over by the Government. This
demonstrates unequivocally the Commitment of KCR Government towards the welfare
of farmers. Referring to Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes CM said
that these apart from providing financial assistance of Rs.1,00,116 for girl
marriage which is a relief to the poor has almost eliminated the menace of
child marriages in the State.
About
“Rythu Bandhu” the CM said that, the scheme has been lauded as innovative by
economists and agriculture scientists. He said that unlike Telangana scheme
which covers all land owners without any limit on land holdings and without any
conditions attached to such support couple of states and even center introduced
the scheme with some riders. The amount to be paid per acre is raised to Rs 5000
per season amounting to Rs 10,000 per year.
Farmer
Group Insurance Scheme for all the farmers in the age group of 18-59 is another
one which CM mentioned. Under the scheme, the sum assured is Rs.5 lakh in the
event of the death of the insured farmer. The premium under the Scheme is paid entirely
by the Government to the Life Insurance Corporation of India.
In his budget speech CM made a mention to almost all welfare
measures and how they benefited the people as well as the budgetary provisions
made for each of them. To reduce infant and maternal mortality, said CM, the
KCR-KIT scheme was introduced. This provides wage compensation of Rs.12,000 in
case of male child and Rs.13,000 in case of female child and a kit worth of Rs.
2,000 containing items of utility for the mother and the child for women
undergoing deliveries in government hospitals. CM said that as a result of
KCR-KIT, the Infant Mortality Rate has come down significantly. Referring to
Kanti Velugu CM said that the Government has taken up an unprecedented
programme of conducting eye camps covering the entire population.
Referring
to the focus on imparting quality education to the poor and the minority
communities through the residential school system CM said that since the
formation of the State, the Government has started 104 new residential schools
for SCs, 53 schools for STs and 192 schools for minorities and 142 schools for
BCs. The Government also started women residential colleges beginning with 30 in
the first phase for SCs, 22 for STs and one for BCs.
The
Government’s intention to introduce unemployment allowance in accordance with
the election promise was announced by CM.
Detailing the Government’s commitment towards empowering local bodies as
evident from the recent enactment of a new Panchayat Raj Act, CM said that every
Gram Panchayat is mandated under the Act to strive to transform the village
into a model village and to prepare a plan and a budget for implementing it. CM
mentioned about irrigation projects, water supply and other infrastructure
facilities in the State.
Vote-on-account
is in the direction of fulfilling the promises made in election manifesto.
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