Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi has expressed concern over the State government’s dependence on huge borrowings to fulfil its promises, which consequently is imposing additional burden on the State exchequer.
Participating in the general discussion on Budget in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, the MIM leader lamented that though the Finance Ministers were presenting impressive budgets every year, there is a huge shortfall when it comes to actuals. The State’s revenue receipts that were projected at ₹2.3 lakh crore for the current financial year, had been trimmed to ₹2.1 lakh crore in the revised estimates as funds under the State’s share of Central taxes, grants and other heads declined.
He lamented that Arogyasri rates were not revised since a long time as a result of which many private hospitals are not admitting patients. Arogyasri ceiling for admission to critical care units had been pegged at ₹4,000 a day while it is several times more in the private hospitals. He welcomed the decision to reduce the age limit for availing of Aasara pensions, but advised the government to clear close to 11 lakh new applications.
