Andhra Pradesh revives 74 schemes, investing ₹12,337 crore

The Andhra Pradesh government has revived 74 Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS). Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav announced this in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday. The government has allocated nearly ₹12,337 crore for these schemes. Keshav noted that the previous government did not pay its share of these schemes. This led to penalties of around ₹350 crore imposed by the Central government. He mentioned that the current administration is trying to negotiate a waiver for these penalties. As of March 3, 2025, the state government is focusing on utilizing CSS more effectively. Previously, Andhra Pradesh was only using 94 out of the 194 total CSS available in the country. Keshav criticized the previous YSR Congress Party government for its handling of these funds, claiming it harmed the state’s economy. The overall economic impact has been serious. Andhra Pradesh is still recovering from the consequences of its bifurcation. The current government is looking for support from the Central government to address these challenges.