Budget session of Andhra Pradesh Assembly begins; Governor speech skips 3-capital issue

Over the past few years, the three-capital issue has found mention whenever the Governor addressed a joint session.

The YSRCP government has been pushing for three capitals for the state as part of its aim to apparently decentralise governance and aid the development of different regions.

The TDP asked why the Governor skirted the three-capital issue. The Opposition has been pushing for making Amaravati the only capital of the state.

Also read: Vizag is going to be our capital, says Jagan

Buggana to present Budget on Thursday

Finance Minister Buganna Rajendranath will present the state budget for 2023-24 on Thursday.

The date was finalised at a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting presided by Speaker Tammineni Sitaram. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and TDP MLA K Yerran Naidu attended the meeting. The presentation of the budget was earlier scheduled for Friday.

This will be the current dispensation’s last full budget before the 2024 Assembly polls. Next year, the government will be tabling a vote on account.

The BAC meeting also decided to hold the budget session for nine working days, till 24 March.

The government has been under fire for the meagre spending and budgetary allocations for the state’s development.

Governor lauds pro-poor initiatives

While addressing the joint session, Nazeer said almost four years have passed since the journey began to fulfil the hopes of the 5 crore people of the state.

Governor Abdul Nazeer addressing a joint sitting of both Houses on Tuesday, 14 March. (Supplied)

“It is indeed heartening to share the way aspirations of the underprivileged, marginalised, and vulnerable groups have been fulfilled through the implementation of several pro-poor initiatives,” he said.

The Governor noted that since this government was formed in 2019, it embarked on an inclusive governance model under the broad welfare umbrella of Navaratnalu, a slew of welfare schemes.

Nazeer, a former Supreme Court judge, said the South Indian state has carved out a well-knit development and welfare framework under Navaratnalu.

He said the government had adopted the concept of inclusiveness, which is also in consonance with the global development agenda of sustainable development goals.

The success of the two-day Global Investors’ Summit held in Visakhapatnam in the first week of March proved the investors’ confidence in Andhra Pradesh and its leadership. MoUs to the tune of around ₹13.42 lakh crore were signed during the summit.

Government misleading people: TDP

The TDP members objected to certain portions of the speech, claiming that the government was trying to mislead the Governor and the public by providing wrong statistics about the state’s growth rate.

“We have decided to raise at least 15 important issues in the ongoing session. These issues include right from price rise to poor law and order in the state,” said MLA K Yerran Naidu, the state president of the TDP.

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman and TDP senior leader Payyavula Keshav raised questions on the Governor skipping the three capitals issue.

“From ministers to MLAs and ruling-party leaders, everyone was making statements openly about the three-capital issue, though the matter is in the Supreme Court. Then, how come the government failed to include it in the Governor’s speech?” he asked.