Revanth to Conduct Quarterly Review on Budget Spend
Govt to launch Sanna Biyam scheme tomorrow
Hyderabad: In the new financial year 2025-26, starting April 1, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is set to introduce quarterly reviews of budget allocations and departmental expenditures to ensure efficient utilisation of public funds, official sources said.
This move marks a strategic shift from the previous BRS regime, which faced criticism for a consistent mismatch between allocations and actual spending.
In the recently concluded Budget session, Revanth Reddy had lambasted the BRS regime for what he termed as “fraudulent budgets,” with a variation of 15 per cent to 30 per cent between allocated and spent funds over the past decade. In contrast, he has vowed to limit this gap to under 5 per cent and ensure over 95 per cent budget utilisation in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
“The goal is to spread expenditure evenly across all four quarters, unlike the previous trend where spending was rushed in the final quarter,” a senior official said.
Typically, Budget Release Orders (BROs) were issued in the last quarter, often resulting in unspent funds due to logistical challenges and fund unavailability. The Chief Minister aims to tackle this issue with quarterly monitoring and timely fund releases.
Two major welfare schemes — Sanna Biyyam and Rajiv Yuva Vikasam — will also be rolled out in the first quarter, promising relief and opportunity to lakhs across the state.
On March 30, Revanth Reddy will launch the Sanna Biyyam scheme, which replaces the substandard coarse rice (doddu biyyam) provided during the BRS regime. Starting April 1, over 3 crore people or about 84 per cent of Telangana's population will receive 6 kg of fine-quality rice per person each month, free of cost.
Described as the "biggest-ever food security initiative in independent India," the scheme aims to curb diversion and black marketing of PDS rice, which officials estimate siphoned off Rs 7,000- Rs 8,000 crore annually under the previous BRS regime.
The Rajiv Yuva Vikasam scheme will support unemployed youth with self-employment grants ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 4 lakh. Online applications are open until April 4, and 5 lakh beneficiaries will be selected between April 6 and May 31. Allotment letters will be distributed on June 2, Telangana Formation Day. The government has earmarked Rs 6,000 crore for the initiative, with an additional Rs 3,000 crore through bank linkage.
