Speakers at a round table conference organized by Jana Chaitanya Vedika in Vijayawada on Wednesday. | Photo credit: KVS GIRI
Several political leaders, former bureaucrats and representatives of civil society organizations criticized the state budget at a round table conference organized by Jana Chaitanya Vedika at Dasari Bhavan in Vijayawada on Wednesday, February 18, saying it lacked fiscal realism and did not address key issues of welfare and development.
Retired IAS officer PV Ramesh, who spoke as the chief guest, questioned the credibility of the budget’s revenue estimates. He noted that the state’s revenue had grown by only 5% over the last decade to ₹88,000 crore and expressed doubts about the projection of ₹1.25 crore this year.
He said the state’s total debt had reached nearly ₹ 14 crore and called the proposal to raise another ₹ 1 lakh crore in borrowing imprudent, recalling that the 16th Finance Commission had recommended capping borrowing at 3% of GSDP.
Senior YSRCP leader and former MLA Malladi Vishnu claimed that thousands of crores of rupees in fees under Aarogyasri schemes and fee refunds remain outstanding but the allocations in the current budget are inadequate. He claimed that the government had borrowed ₹3.30 crore in the last 20 months.
Jana Chaitanya Vedika state president Vallamreddy Lakshmana Reddy criticized the allocation of ₹500 crore to the Price Stabilization Fund and said the same amount earmarked for the Veligonda project was insufficient against the required ₹4,000 crore. He claimed over-reliance on excise tax revenue.
Other speakers, including KS Lakshmana Rao, Uppulati Devi Prasad and V. Rambhoopal, criticized the budget for its lack of focus on agriculture, tenant farmers, SC/ST sub-plans and irrigation projects in Rayalaseema, describing it as debt-driven and lacking in inclusive growth.
Published – 18 Feb 2026 20:39 IST