Telugu Desam Party president and former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu claims himself to be visionary with a long-term perspective plan for the all-round development of the state.
At the same time, Naidu has come out with a Super Six welfare agenda to be implemented if his party is voted to power in the state in the coming elections.
He declared that his welfare agenda would be much better than that of YSR Congress party president and present chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
He also dismissed the apprehensions being raised by the YSRCP leaders that the TDP will do away with all the Navaratnalu being implemented by Jagan. He declared that he would implement the schemes in an improved manner.
So far so good. But has the visionary TDP chief ever calculated how much money he requires to implement the ongoing welfare schemes, apart from the Super Six schemes he is proposing in his election manifesto?
Well, there is so far no such attempt. But Jagan made an attempt to explain how much money Naidu would require to implement his promises, if at all the TDP comes to power.
He told the people at the Siddham meeting that Naidu would require more than Rs 1.40 lakh crore every year to implement the Super Six and other schemes.
“I have asked my finance department to calculate the annual cost of implementing these schemes, over and above the welfare schemes running currently under YSRCP and they gave me these figures,” he said.
The present schemes being implemented by Jagan and the expenditure being incurred there on are:
1. Pension to 66 lakh beneficiaries at a cost of Rs 24,000 crores
2. Free electricity for farmers at a cost of Rs 11,000 crores
3. Ration distribution under PDS at a cost of Rs 4,600 crores
4. Healthcare under Aarogyasri / Aasara / 104 / 108 at a cost of Rs 4,400 crores
5. Fee reimbursement under Vidya Deevena & Vasathi Deevena, both at a cost of Rs 5,000 crores
6. Sampoorna Poshana at a cost of Rs 2,200 crores
7. Gorumudda at a cost of Rs 1,900 crores
“In total, the commitment to the said essential schemes is approximately Rs 52,700 crores annually,” he said.
Now, the cost for Naidu’s ‘Super Six’ promises has been estimated to be around Rs 73,440 crore. Besides, he has also announced a pension for BCs that would cost an additional Rs 13,872 crores. That means the total cost for Babu’s ‘Super Six’ + 1 (BC pension) would cost a total of Rs 87,312 crores annually.
“If you add this to the cost of existing schemes, it would bring us to a grand total of more than Rs 1.4 lakh crore per year. Does he have an answer on how he would get funds for the same?” Jagan asked.
The chief minister said after bringing transformational reforms in administration and eliminating corruption, the YSRCP government was able to deliver Rs 75,000 crore worth welfare benefits (DBT & Non-DBT) per annum.
“But where would Naidu get double this amount from? So, Naidu’s promises are not feasible. Don’t fall into his trap,” Jagan told the people.
