Political parties from Andhra Pradesh have protested time and again since 2014 demanding special category status for the state.
Published Jul 23, 2024 | 12:09 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 23, 2024 | 3:53 PM
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presenting the Union budget. (Screengrab)
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, 23 July, presented the Budget for 2024-25, her 7th straight presentation surpassing the record of former prime minister Morarji Desai.
Along with announcing nine main priorities for the budget, the government, announced a series of measures for the development of Andhra Pradesh, including arranging ₹15,000 crore this fiscal and in future years for development of the capital city of the state.
The nine priorities include productivity, jobs, social justice, urban development, energy security, infrastructure, innovation and reforms.
Presenting Union Budget 2024-25, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government will also facilitate special financial support for development of the capital city. She further said the NDA government at the Centre is fully committed to financing and early completion of Polavaram Irrigation project, which is considered as a lifeline for Andhra Pradesh and its farmers.
Besides, the Centre allocated over ₹3 lakh crore for schemes benefiting women and girls and stated that it is fully committed for completion and financing of Polavaram irrigation project.
“Our government has made concerted efforts to fulfil the commitments in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. We are recognising the state’s need for a capital. We will facilitate special financial support through multilateral development agencies. In the current financial year, ₹15,000 crore will be arranged with additional amounts in future years,” she said.
Sitharaman further said under the AP Reorganisation Act, for promoting industrial developments, funds will be provided for essential infrastructure such as water, power, railways, and roads and also grants for backward regions of Rayalaseema, Prakasam, North coastal Andhra Pradesh, as stated in the Act will be provided.
Special category status is a classification of regions or states by the central government to provide special assistance in the form of tax benefits and financial support for development of the region.
The Centre will also formulate a plan “Purvodaya” for the all-round development of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.
Sitharaman further said the government will support industrial corridor for development in the eastern region.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday thanked the Central government for recognising the needs of the state in the Union Budget
Thanking the Union Finance Minister, the Chief Minister noted that the support from the Centre will go a long way towards rebuilding Andhra Pradesh.
“On behalf of the people of Andhra Pradesh, I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for recognising the needs of our state and focusing on a capital, Polavaram, industrial nodes and development of backward areas in AP (Andhra Pradesh) in the union budget of FY 24-25,” said Naidu in a post on X.
Further, he congratulated Sitharaman for presenting a “progressive and confidence-boosting budget.”
On behalf of the people of Andhra Pradesh, I thank the Hon’ble Prime Minister, @narendramodi Ji and Hon’ble Union Finance Minister, @nsitharaman Ji, for recognising the needs of our State and focusing on a Capital, Polavaram, industrial nodes and development of backward areas in… pic.twitter.com/ImgW3sor8d
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) July 23, 2024
Earlier, Andhra Pradesh IT and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh on Tuesday said the Union Budget allocations for industrial growth, infrastructure, irrigation and others as a ‘new sunrise’ for the state.
The IT Minister highlighted that their struggle has been recognised, calling the development as a matter of great pride for the people of the southern state.
“A new sunrise for Andhra Pradesh. I am extremely delighted and grateful for the Union Finance Minister’s announcement today in the Budget. These will go a long way towards helping AP (Andhra Pradesh) achieve its development and social objectives,” said Lokesh in a post on X.
A new sunrise for Andhra Pradesh
I am extremely delighted and grateful for the Union Finance Minister’s announcements today in the Budget. These will go a long way towards helping AP achieve its development and social objectives.
It’s a matter of great pride for the people of…
— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) July 23, 2024
According to the IT Minister, a special and holistic package has been provided to the state, covering all important areas such as industrial growth, infrastructure, irrigation and human resource development.
“I would like to make a special mention to the generous contribution made toward Amaravati and Polavaram. Today will be marked as a red letter day in the new state’s history,” he said.
Lokesh said this is the “first step towards our march together to building a state of our dreams”.
Earlier, Lokesh, who also handles the portfolio of human resource development, welcomed the Central government’s budgetary proposals providing support to Amaravati and Polavaram Irrigation projects.
“Thanks to the Central government which announced that it will provide full support for the completion of the projects of Amaravati, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, and Polavaram project, the lifeline of AP (Andhra Pradesh),” he said.
“On behalf of the people of the state, we express our gratitude to the NDA government for committing to the reconstruction of Andhra Pradesh by allocating ₹15,000 crore in the budget,” Lokesh added.
ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్ రాజధాని అమరావతి, జీవనాడి పోలవరం ప్రాజెక్టుల పూర్తి కోసం సంపూర్ణ సహకారం అందిస్తామని ప్రకటించిన కేంద్ర ప్రభుత్వానికి ధన్యవాదాలు. బడ్జెట్లో రూ.15 వేల కోట్లు కేటాయించి ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ పునర్నిర్మాణానికి కట్టుబడిన ఎన్డీఏ ప్రభుత్వానికి రాష్ట్ర ప్రజల తరఫున కృతజ్ఞతలు… pic.twitter.com/CNbsH2owj6
— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) July 23, 2024
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is a key ally of the BJP in the Centre.
Political parties from Andhra Pradesh have protested time and again since 2014 demanding special category status for the state.
The Union Budget for 2024-25 will provide ₹1.48 lakh crore for education, employment and skilling in the country.
Presenting the Budget in the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said it will focus on employment, skilling, MSMEs and the middle class.
She added that the government has extended the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for five years which is benefiting 80 crore people of the country.
As mentioned in interim budget, there is a need to focus on poor, women, youth and farmers, the minister said.
The finance minister also announced a new centrally-sponsored scheme for skilling 20 lakh youth over the next five years.
The minister said that model skilling loan scheme will be revised to facilitate loans up to ₹7.5 lakh.
As part of boosting skilling efforts, 1,000 ITIs will be upgraded on the hub-and-spoke model. Besides, the government will provide financial support for loans up to ₹10 lakh for higher education in domestic institutions.
The finance minister also said the government will provide e-vouchers directly to 1 lakh students every year with interest subvention of 3 percent of loan amount.
The government also said it will set up working women hostels to promote the participation of women in the workforce.
As mentioned in the interim budget, there is a need to focus on the poor, women, youth and farmers, she said.
“We will facilitate higher participation of women in the workforce by setting up working women hostels in collaboration with industries and establishment of creches in addition the partnership will seek to organise women-specific skilling programmes and promotion of market access for women SHG enterprises,” she said.
Presenting her seventh straight budget, Sitharaman said the government undertakes comprehensive review of research to develop climate-resilient seeds.
In the next two years, one crore farmers will be initiated in natural farming, she said. Large-scale vegetable production clusters would be promoted to increase output, she stated.
The government will release new 109 high-yielding, climate-resilient seeds for 32 field and horticulture crops.
According to her, implementation of various schemes announced in the interim budget in February is still underway.
This is the first Budget during Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s third term in office.
People of India have reinforced their faith in the government led by Modi and re-elected it for the third term, she said, while presenting the Budget in Lok Sabha.
India’s economic growth continues to shine while the global economy is still in the grip of policy uncertainty, Sitharaman added.
The country’s inflation continues to be stable and is moving towards 4 percent, and core inflation stands at 3.1 percent.
(With PTI inputs)
