ONGOLE: Finance Minister K. Rosaiah has rebutted the Opposition criticism that the Congress Government is neglecting agriculture sector.

Speaking to newspersons here today, he said the Government had in fact exempted agriculture from budget cuts and allotted Rs. 13,000 crores in the coming year as against Rs.10,000 crores, Rs. 6,300 crores and Rs. 3,300 crores allotted in the preceding three years. But Opposition was criticising the Government due to lack of understanding, he said.

Irrigation

He also refuted criticism in a section of the Press that he had neglected irrigation sector in Prakasam district.

He said the allocation for Veligonda project was increased from Rs. 300 crores to Rs. 475 crores. Gundlakamma project was allocated Rs. 200 crores as against Rs. 225 crores last year. As the work was going at slow pace on Ramatheertham project, he allocated only Rs. 15 crores for it. He said the allocation would be increased to Rs. 40-45 crores if the irrigation officials stepped up construction activity on the project.

He said the Reserve Bank of India had granted an incentive of Rs. 1900 crores to the State in appreciation of its financial discipline.

The State Government did not draw overdraft even for one day creating a record, he said.Mr. Rosaiah later inspected vacant land at Nagarjuna Sagar project office here for setting up of government medical college.

He advised Collector B Udaya Lakshmi to shift the entrance of the proposed medical college away from the four-lane Chennai-Kolkatta NH No 5.

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