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Former Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath criticised Chandrababu Naidu's White Paper on Andhra Pradesh finances, alleging it lacked revenue data and made misleading claims about growth, debt, investments and welfare.
Amaravati: YSRCP strongly criticised the White Paper on Andhra Pradesh's finances released by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, describing it as misleading and lacking substantive information on the state's revenue position.
Former Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath, addressing the media on Saturday, alleged that the document was designed primarily to promote the present government while criticising the previous administration.
Buggana said the document did not adequately present the state's revenue position and questioned how the government could claim strong economic growth when revenue performance was allegedly declining.
He criticised the Chief Minister's reported statement that the state's fiscal deficit was "a myth", calling the assertion irresponsible.
The former Finance Minister argued that a government claiming to focus on wealth creation should provide comprehensive revenue figures and other fiscal indicators to substantiate its claims.
Buggana disputed the NDA government's assessment of the state's economic performance between 2019 and 2024.
He claimed that the YSRCP government had performed better in areas including per capita income and revenue deficit and argued that the performance of a government should ultimately be assessed by the benefits reaching people.
Referring to welfare programmes, he questioned whether farmers were receiving minimum support prices and whether women, pensioners, students and other beneficiaries were receiving the benefits promised under various schemes.
He also cited programmes including Adabidda Nidhi, pensions, free gas cylinders, Talliki Vandanam and fee reimbursement while defending the previous government's record.
Buggana also challenged the figures cited by the Chief Minister regarding borrowings and outstanding debt.
He alleged that the White Paper presented a reduced figure and claimed that the actual position would be different after accounting for outstanding loans and liabilities.
The former Finance Minister further questioned the government's claim of an 11% GSDP growth rate, asking how such growth could be achieved if state revenue was registering negative growth.
Buggana disputed the coalition government's claims regarding investment and employment generation.
He referred to information provided by the Union Government in Parliament during Question Hour, according to which, he claimed, only two of ten proposed projects had received clearance.
He contrasted this with the previous government's claim of creating 1.35 lakh jobs through village and ward secretariats.
Buggana also cited the establishment of village clinics, ports, shipping harbours and fish landing centres, along with the Nadu-Nedu school development programme, as examples of the previous government's initiatives.
The former Finance Minister also defended the YSRCP government's record on the Polavaram Project, claiming that the previous government secured funds and worked to address problems inherited by it.
He accused the present government of spending heavily on Amaravati while allegedly paying high rates to contractors.
Buggana further criticised the government's approach to ports and medical colleges, alleging that privatisation measures would benefit private interests at the expense of ordinary citizens.
Buggana concluded by alleging that Andhra Pradesh's brand image had weakened under the present government, while claiming that the state had performed better during the tenure of former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The YSRCP leader said the state's financial and developmental performance should be judged using transparent, independently verifiable data rather than political claims.
The allegations and figures cited in this report are claims made by YSRCP leader Buggana Rajendranath. The government's position and figures differ, as reflected in the White Paper released by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
