State Budget to cross `2L cr

THE BUDGET session is likely to begin after February 20 for four to five days.

The state government is preparing to introduce an interim Budget of `2 lakh crore in the ensuing Assembly budget session for 2019-20.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had already announced that the state government will introduce an interim Budget for six months keeping the ensuing Parliament elections in mind.

In March 2018, the state government had introduced the Budget for 201819 with a total outlay of

`1,74,453 crore. During the recent Assembly polls, Mr Rao had promised to increase Asara pensions, which includes pension for old age, disabled and widows; financial aid under Rythu Bandhu; and allowance for the unemployed.

Finance department sources said that the state government had spent about `41,000 crore for welfare schemes in the current financial year and the allocation was likely to increase in the ensuing Budget in view of promises made by the CM.

Finance department officials explained that

`25,000 crore was allocated in the Budget of the current financial year and allocation for irrigation sector would have to be increased slightly in view of targeted completion of Mission Bhagiratha by end of August and provision of irrigation water to

14.40 lakh acres aycut under the SRSP Project from the coming monsoon.