Hyderabad: AP officials are in a state of shock on being told by Union finance ministry recently that the file for sanction of funds to make up the state Budget deficit was closed.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary I.Y.R. Krishna Rao, during his recent visit to Delhi, met officials of the Union finance ministry and requested for funds to fill the Budget gap that was assured by the centre in the state Reorganisation Act.
But finance ministry mandarins told him that file was closed as the Budget showed a Rs 1,000 crore surplus; the ministry officials cited an Andhra Pradesh government report on the matter.
This shocked Mr Krishna Rao, who immediately called up state officials, all of whom scrambled to check the files.
They reported back that far from showing a surplus budget, the state government had actually sought sanction of Rs 15, 600 crore to fill the deficit.
The file, containing details of state expenditure and revenue, said that if the Centre gives Rs 15, 600 crore, the state Budget will become surplus by Rs 1, 000 crore.
It turned out that a Union finance ministry joint secretary had only read the total figures and thought that the state had a Rs 1,000 crore surplus, and closed the file.
Once this was sorted out, Mr Krishna Rao asked the Union finance ministry to again put up the file for circulation. And state officials let out a sigh of relief at the narrow escape.
