HYDERABAD: Former finance Minister and BJP legislator Etala Rajendar on Sunday accused the state government of fudging Budget figures. He said that accounts and plans presented for a total of `70,000 crore in the 2022-23 budget were nothing but jugglery of numbers.
Rajendar told reporters that as a former finance minister, he was willing to prove how and where the Budget figures had been manipulated.
“I am ready to prove this during a debate with either the Chief Minister or the finance minister,” he said.
The budget, he said, was introduced only to display some numbers and impress people. “If the state had the funds that it claims, then why are salaries not being paid to all government employees in one go? Why is the government evading RTI inquiries on funds it is supposed to have released to gram panchayats?” he asked.
Palle Pragathi, and Pattana Pragati programmes are not finding any takers, he said, adding that even TRS leaders are unwilling to turn up fearing that they would be grilled by local public representatives, he said.
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