State withdraws its plan on special agri Budget

The Telangana state government has withdrawn its plan to introduce a special Budget for agriculture from this year.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao took this decision on Monday after officials brought to his notice that the Constitution and the rules of the Legislative Assembly did not permit the introduction of department-wise budgets.

Mr Rao reviewed issues pertaining to the state Budget and the introduction of a separate Budget for agriculture for 2018-19 with ministers and officials. He asked officials to prioritise the agriculture sector in the state’s regular Budget and announce special schemes for farmers.

The CM said the state government had been prioritising agriculture from the very beginning. He said that sufficient funds would be allocated in the Budget to allow for more programmes and schemes for farmers to be taken up.

Previously, the state government had planned to introduce a separate Budget for agriculture. The feasibility of that proposal was discussed at the meeting.

As per Rule 150 of the Legislative Guidelines, only receipts and expenditures are treated as part of the Budget. Any plans, programmes and schemes are to be introduced as bills, and they cannot be treated as individual Budgets.

At the meeting, officials recalled how efforts to introduce a separate Budget in undivided AP had once led to a controversy that had resulted in the proposal being withdrawn.

The Chief Minister said the Railway Budget, which used to be presented separately by the Centre, had also been merged with the Union Budget.

He said it would be explained in the Budget itself that agriculture would be prioritised and that funds would be allocated for programmes and schemes to benefit the sector.