AP Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu today presented the budget for the year 2017-2018 in the assembly.
Speaking about the special status issue, Finance Minister said AP government got AP special package which is equivalent to special status after the the 14th Finance Committee stopped giving special status to the states.
However his statement on special status resulted in huge protests as opposition parties like Jagan's YSRCP and Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena are trying to intensify fight for special status.
Here are the important highlights of the budget presented by Yanamala Ramakrishnudu.
* Budget for agriculture increased to 7.73%.
* Rs 383 crore allocated to forest department.
* Solar pump sets will be distributed to farmers at subsidised prices.
* Rs 40,000 to poor Christians who are willing to visit Jerusalem.
* Rs 400 crores for women empowerment.
* Rs 89 crore allocated for the welfare of disabled.
* Rs 260 crore allocated for development of village roads.
* Rs 382 crore for IT and electronics.
* Agriculture loan waiver Rs 3600 crore. Rs 1,600 crore allotted to SHG loan investment.
* Andhra Pradesh pollution control board gets Rs 4,183 crore.
* Rs 4376 crore allocated for Pensions.
* Rs 125 crores for small and medium scale industries.
* Rs 398 crores for Skill development scheme.
* Rs 500 crore allotted to unemployment honorarium.
* Women finance corporation gets huge impetus with Rs 400 crore allotment.
* Free LPG connection for poor gets Rs 350 crores.
* Power subsidy for poor increased from 50 to 75 units.
* Capital region development authority gets Rs 1,061 crore. SAAP gets 195 crores.
* NTR Vaidya Seva gets a big allocation of Rs 1,000 crore.
* Smart cities get Rs 450 crore and other smart cities to be developed by the state government get Rs 150 crore.
* Safe drinking water project NTR Sujala Sravanthi gets Rs 100 crore.
* Anna canteens modelled on the lines of Amma canteens in Tamil Nadu gets Rs 100 crore.
* ST component fund gets Rs 3,528 crore.
* Rs 92 crore allocated for Ambedkar memorial Park in capital Amaravati.
* Rs 97 crore allocated for Brahmin welfare.
* Finance minister Yanamala makes mention of ease of doing business and how Andhra Pradesh is the sought-after state for investment.
* Eight mega food processing parks planned in North coastal Andhra region. Five such parks are being planned in Srikakulam district alone
* Ambedkar Smritivanam in Amaravati gets Rs 97 crore.
* Unemployment allowance gets Rs 500 crore. Unemployment allowance is one of the main promises of the TDP.
* Education sector gets a sizeable allocation of Rs 20,384 crore.
* Rural development gets huge allocation with agriculture sector getting Rs 8790 crore.
* Rs 1,25,911 crore is the revenue deficit the highest for any state.
* The budget reflects vision 2029, says the finance minister.
* This is the penultimate budget for Andhra Pradesh as the state will go to polls in 2019.
* Rs 1,049 crore allocated for drinking water and Rs 5,207 crore Urban development.
* Finance minister Y Ramakrishnudu presents Rs 1.55 lakh crore 'smart' budget.
