The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Ministers told not to mount pressure for funds

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Thursday, Jul 17, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Ministers told not to mount pressure for funds

Chief Minister’s advice to colleagues at Cabinet meeting; monsoon session likely from August 18 to 29

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has asked his Cabinet colleagues not to “mount pressure” on the Finance Department seeking funds for constituency-related works.

He is understood to have made this suggestion during the Cabinet meeting here on Wednesday where he explained to Ministers the expenditure being incurred by the Government on account of various welfare schemes. While the Government had made plan allocation in excess of Rs. 40,000 crore for development and welfare schemes, the launch of new programmes has resulted in significantly higher expenditure.

When the launch of second phase of Rajiv Arogyasri figured in the discussions, Dr. Reddy is learnt to have told the Ministers that the Government would incur an additional Rs. 950 crore expenditure for the scheme.

This is in addition to Rs. 1,100 crore earmarked for payment of Rs. 5,000 for farmers left out of the loan waiver scheme and another Rs. 500 crore for providing rice at Rs. 2 a kilo and red gram and palmolein oil at subsidised prices to white card holders.

The Ministers were asked to ensure effective implementation of Arogyasri as the health insurance scheme, coupled with pensions, Rs. 2 kilo rice and NREGP works, would go a long way in retaining public support to the party.

On concerns that power shortage was likely to affect agriculture operations, Dr. Reddy exuded confidence that the rainfall situation would improve shortly and the State would overcome the shortages once gas from the Krishna Godavari Basins was made available by the Reliance Industries from September this year.

The Cabinet meeting decided to convene the Assembly’s monsoon session tentatively from August 18 to 29. The exact dates are to be finalised later.

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