Andhra Pradesh: Jaganmohan government's first Budget focuses on housing, agriculture

Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy has introduced the state Budget for 2019-20 with an outlay of Rs 227,975 crore with a focus on housing, agriculture, education, and human capital development.

While Reddy introduced the Budget in the state legislative assembly, Revenue Minister Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose introduced the same in the legislative council.

The Budget has allocated Rs 9,786 crore to the housing sector. While the PMAY (urban) will get Rs 5,000 crore, PMAY-YSR weaker sections housing scheme has been allocated Rs 1,280 crore and YSR urban housing scheme Rs 1,000 crore.

The Budget allocates Rs 8,750 crore for YSR Rytu Bharosa scheme, which will benefit 64.06 lakh farmers, including 15.36 lakh tenant farmers.

The Budget allocates an amount of Rs 15,000 crore for the welfare and development of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Rs 4,988 crore for scheduled tribes (STs).

A sum of Rs 4,560 crore has been allocated for YSR Nine Hours Free Power Supply while the Market Stabilisation Fund has got Rs 3,000 crore.

The Jagan Anna Amma Odi scheme has been allocated Rs 6,456 crore, infrastructure development in schools Rs 1,500 crore, Natural Calamities Fund Rs 2,002 crore and YSR-PM Fasal Bima Yojana Rs 1,163 crore.

For the mid-day meal scheme, Rs 1,077 crore has been allocated while a sum of Rs 1,500 crore has been earmarked for infrastructure development in hospitals.

A sum of Rs 3,000 crore has been allocated for subsidising rice under the public distribution system. For the development of the capital city of Amaravati, the state government has proposed to allocate Rs 500 crore in the Budget.

The estimated revenue deficit is about Rs 1,778 crore and the fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs 35,260 crore.

( With inputs from ANI )