TDP politburo member Yanamala Ramakrishnudu has suggested the State government to utilise the Ways and Means Advance (WMA) only to fund the expenditure incurred in the fight the second wave of coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement on Wednesday, the former Finance Minister said that there were reports that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had permitted the State government to borrow ₹2,146 crore additionally as Ways and Means Advance.
“The government must to utilise the amount for the management of pandemic situation instead of spending it on other purposes,” said Mr. Ramakrishnudu.
He said Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his Cabinet colleagues were claiming that ₹87,000 crore had ben spent on the public welfare during the last two years. The TDP, when in power, had spent ₹1 lakh crore on public welfare, but did not hike taxes. “Now, every family is shouldering a burden of ₹2.5 lakh owing to the taxes and debts availed by the YSRCP government,” he claimed.
Alleging that the YSRCP government is neck-deep in corruption, Mr. Ramakrishnudu said ₹6,500 crore was ‘looted’ in the name of cent patta and 10,000 acres of assigned lands were snatched away from the Dalits.
“A scam of ₹307 crore in purchase of ambulances was reported. On one hand, the government is spending ₹14,000 crore on the Amma Vodi scheme and on the other, it is pocketing ₹36,000 crore from excise revenue. Hike in diesel price and fines imposed on drivers is a drain of ₹30,000 crore of public money, while the government is paying a meagre ₹10,000 crore under the Vahana Mitra scheme,” he said.
Mr. Ramakrishnudu alleged that farmers were deprived of benefits by scrapping the Annadata Sukhibhava scheme. The farmers used to get ₹15,000 under that scheme, whereas only ₹7,500 is being paid to them under the Rythu Bharosa scheme. The backward classes were denied 6,800 posts by slashing the quota. The SC, ST, BC and minority sub plans have also been watered down,” he said.
