Finance Minister Eatala Rajender to present budget today

 Finance Minister Eatala Rajender will present the annual budget of Telangana State for the financial year 2017-18 in the Legislative Assembly at 12 noon on Monday. The State Cabinet on Sunday gave its nod to the budget proposals at its meeting held here at Pragathi Bhavan. The total budget outlay is likely to be around Rs 1.40 lakh crore to Rs 1.42 lakh crore as against Rs 1.30 lakh crore for 2016-17 financial year.

The budget which has so far been giving more prominence to irrigation projects, this time will emphasise on welfare measures for various communities and development of rural economy. Irrigation, Energy, Panchayat Raj and Rural Administration and Municipal Administration would continue to get necessary allocations, the Finance Minister said.     

Before the Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister held a final round of meeting with the Finance Minister and top officials of the Finance Department and gave some finishing touches to the budget proposals. Since the government has already decided to accord top priority to welfare schemes, the allocation for



community-based schemes aimed at uplifting shepherds, fishermen, artisans and the Backward Class communities are likely to get lion’s share.

The funds for fee reimbursement, power subsidy, pensions, self employment programmes etc would also increased substantially in the budget. Funds for the two-bedroom housing scheme, agriculture, education and health sectors may also go up. The power subsidy is likely to be more than Rs 6,000 crore.

The government will also give importance to the Musi riverfront development.  The total allocation for welfare and developmental programmes under scheme expenditure is likely to be pegged around Rs 70,000 crore. Allocation for irrigation sector is likely to increase to Rs 27,000 crore from the present Rs 25,000 crore.

As the Chief Minister had already announced the hike of salaries of Anganwadi workers, Village Revenue Officers (VROs) and VRAs, officials said the salary burden would also go up from the present Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 4,000 crore during the next financial year.