K Chandrasekhar Rao plans full budget for in September, seeks spend plans

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is said to have decided to hold the Assembly session in the first week of September to introduce the full Budget.

The government has asked department heads to send their Budget proposals by August 14 to the finance department.

Mr Rao had introduced a vote-on-account Budget on February 22 as the Centre had not its presented the full Budget in view of the Lok Sabha elections. The size of the vote-on-account was Rs 1,82,017 crore for 2019-20.

Mr Rao had announced in the House that keeping in view the general elections, it was decided to introduce the interim Budget for a period of six months. Besides, the state government did not have a clear picture of the Central devolutions to the state government.

As the six months will lapse on August 22, the Chief Minister is said to have asked the finance department to prepare the Budget estimates.

During the interim Budget, the state government had given priority allocations to agriculture, irrigation and welfare.

Sources said Mr Rao had instructed authorities prepare the estimates keeping in view of the priorities of the government for agriculture, irrigation and welfare and for the rural sector as the New Panchayat Raj Act had been passed.

During the zilla and mandal parishad elections, Mr Rao had promised more funds to gram panchayats on par with the grants from the Finance Commission.

He also seems to have asked officials to give priority health spend.