HYDERABAD: The state government continued to jack up budgetary provisions for Central grants despite getting lower funds every year. In 2022-23, the Budget estimated grants-in-aid from the Centre at Rs 41,001 crores, but only received Rs 15,000 crores. Despite this, the new budget estimated the Centre’s grants at Rs 41,259 crores.
In the revised estimates for 2022-23, the budget slashed Central grants to Rs 30,260 crores from the original Rs 41,001 crores with a hope that it would get another Rs 15,000 crores in the remaining months of February and March this fiscal year (2022-23).
The government also made a budgetary provision of Rs 17,828 crores under the new head “Inter-state settlement” anticipating reimbursement of Rs 17,828 crores by the Centre towards power dues pending from Andhra Pradesh. The fact remains that the Centre in August 2022 directed the TS government to clear Rs 6,756 crore arrears to AP Discoms within a month on which TS government approached the High Court.
The government estimated open market borrowings at Rs 40,615 crores in 2023-24 despite the Centre last year imposing cuts of Rs 15,033 crores on loans. Last year, the government estimated open market loans at Rs 53,970 crores, but the Centre slashed it to Rs 38,937 crores, which was mentioned by finance minister T. Harish Rao in his Budget speech. Despite this, the state government in its revised estimates for last year showed open market loans at Rs 44,970 crores.
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