Harish Flags Rs 50,000 Cr Gap in Budget

Hyderabad: BRS MLA T. Harish Rao on Monday criticised the state government’s 2026-27 Budget, alleging a consistent gap between budget estimates and actual expenditure.

Participating in the budget debate, he said there has been a deficit of at least Rs 50,000 crore each year. He cited a gap of Rs 59,231 crore, or 20.3 per cent, in the first budget, a projected Rs 54,000 crore gap, or 18 per cent, in the second, and an expected shortfall of Rs 45,000-50,000 crore in the third.

He alleged lack of clarity in the budget. “This budget is of extravagant promises in the manifesto, inadequate allocations in the budget, and lack of ground-level execution,” he said.

Harish Rao said allocation for the Six Guarantees was reduced from Rs 56,084 crore to Rs 50,713 crore despite pending commitments. He also said the promised Rs 15,000 per acre under Rythu Bharosa was reduced to Rs 12,000 and not implemented for one season, and pointed to the absence of crop insurance allocation.

He said the state’s debt has crossed Rs 3.5 lakh crore and cited a decline in GSDP growth from 12.5 per cent to 10.7 per cent, along with a fall in per capita income growth. He also questioned the status of the promised two lakh jobs and noted the absence of a job calendar in the budget.

Raising concerns over minority welfare, he said, “Prior to the elections, they made a great hype about a ‘Minority Declaration. Yet, even after two and a half years in power, there is absolutely no sign of the Minority Sub-Plan that was promised in that declaration. In the 2025-26 budget, while Rs 3,590 cr were allocated for minority welfare, only Rs 1,591 cr were actually spent. This amounts to only 45 per cent. Is this the sincerity you claim to demonstrate towards minorities?”