Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) MLA and former Finance Minister T. Harish Rao speaking in Assembly on Friday (March 21, 2025).
| Photo Credit: Handle @HarishRaoOffice on X
Describing Telangana’s budget for financial year 2025-26 presented in the Legislature on Wednesday (March 19, 2025) as “disastrous and disappointing”, the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) has alleged that the ruling party has indulged in jugglery of figures rather than presenting a factual annual financial statement.
Initiating the general discussion on the budget in the Assembly on Friday (March 21, 2025), BRS member T. Harish Rao said that the estimates presented in the budget were far from reality. Telangana was lagging behind in several parameters as compared to other States and the national average.
5.5% GST growth
The GST growth for the current fiscal (2024-25) was projected at 20%, but the achievement was just 5.5% at the end of 11 months of the current fiscal. The same was the case with the revenue through Registration and Stamps that was heading for a negative growth registering less than ₹14,000 crore, lower than the previous financial year’s (2023-24) revenue.
Other States achieved 90% budget estimates
States like Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala realised 90% of budget estimates of the current fiscal. But it was less than 80% in Telangana.
The State Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy attributed the decline in revenue in all sectors to recession, but the lopsided policies of the government led to the present state of affairs. “Why are other States performing better? Is there is indeed a recession?” he asked adding the situation was akin to the saying “promise reforms first and reform the promises after coming to power”.
In the close to two hour response laced with interruptions from the Treasury Benches, Mr. Rao – former Finance Minister – advised the government to introspect to ascertain the reasons behind the decline in revenues and take corrective steps to remedy the situation. Otherwise, the government would be forced to opt for sale of lands, which it was already doing while lands pertaining to the government’s agencies were being mortgaged for raising resources.
Even after this, the government had failed to implement its host of promises including ₹2,500 sustenance allowance to women, enhancement of old age pension to ₹4,000, unemployment allowance to youth and constitution of PRC (Pay Revision Commission) for employees, which did not find a mention in the [2025-26] budget speech, said Mr. Rao.
He dismissed claims of the government on providing 57,000 jobs claiming that the process for their recruitment was completed during the BRS regime. The government had in fact issued fresh notifications for filling less than 6,000 posts. “Going by the budget estimates, the government is building castles in air. Wake up at least now because of there is a significant dip in the revenues,” he said.
Published – March 21, 2025 03:46 PM is
