Congress aims to restore fiscal discipline in Telangana

Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka criticized the budget presented by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) as chaotic and unrealistic. He stated that the Congress government aims to restore financial order with a more sensible budget after ten years of what he called "financial anarchy." During a budget discussion, Mr. Vikramarka highlighted inflated budget figures from the BRS. He noted that spending often fell far short of projections. He compared Telangana's underutilization of funds to states like Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, which manage to spend almost all their budgets. He stated that unspent funds rose from ₹8,000 crore in 2016-17 to ₹58,571 crore in 2023-24. The Finance Minister provided specific examples of unspent budget money over the years, indicating a pattern of failure to meet spending goals. Despite presenting large budgets, actual expenses did not reflect those amounts. He questioned the developmental outcomes of ₹16.70 lakh crore spent by the BRS in recent years, asking what useful infrastructure projects were completed. Mr. Vikramarka specifically criticized the Kaleshwaram project, claiming that the ₹1 lakh crore spent on it was ineffective. He also pointed out significant debts left by the BRS government, including ₹77,000 crore owed to Singareni Collieries. He condemned the sale of the Outer Ring Road under a long-term lease and noted financial irregularities identified in a CAG report, which stated that ₹2.30 lakh crore was spent without Assembly approval. To assure the public, he said the Congress government is correcting these financial issues. He addressed concerns over the government’s borrowing, stating that they repaid ₹1,53,359 crore in loans taken by the BRS. The net increase in debt under the Congress government was only ₹4,682 crore, while ₹1,34,000 crore was spent on welfare programs with responsible financial management.