Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s branding exercise of spending a whopping Rs 430 Cr in the name of ‘Chandranna Kanuka’ (Gift from Chandranna) comes under sharp criticsim.
Hyderabad: At a time when the Andhra Pradesh is struggling to come to terms with its financial health, the state government has decided to spend a whopping Rs 430 Cr towards ‘Chandrana Kanuka’ scheme. The scheme is meant to provide all those house holds under the Below Poverty Line to get six essential comodities to celebrate the Christmas and Sankrathi festivals.
Under the scheme each of the BPL house hold will be provided a kit, containing: A kilogram of wheat, half kilogram of sugar, half kilogram of Chena Dal, half kilogram of jaggery and 100 grams of ghee.
The government had spent about Rs 324 Cr during the last financial year towards the same programme launched on Sankranti eve. This time it has expanded the scope of the scheme including Christmas, Sankranti. The government is likely to further expand the scheme to include all other festivals.
However, the government has come under sharp criticism on launching such schemes at a time it is badly in need of money to build its new state capital and development of infrastructure facilities, to give basic eco-system to boost the internal economy of the state and cause the growth rates of the state’s GDP.
According to officials in the state finance department, the amount spent on the scheme during the last two years comes to about Rs 450 Cr, with which the state could have completed construction of its secretariat or high court. However, it was the brand building exercise of the Chief Minister which is making the public exchequer poorer and the non-plan expenditure on such temporary reliefs and goodies that the government is trying to offer to the people will sure to have an adverse impact on its fiscal health, the officials sources pointed out.
Caption: Civil Supplies Minister Paritala Sunitha look on while Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu releases a poster of Chandranna Kanuka Scheme at Hyderabad.
