Budget will steer AP out of ‘inherited financial damage’: CM

Vijayawada: Praising the state budget, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said it was framed to stabilise finances and steer Andhra Pradesh out of what he called "inherited financial damage" from the previous administration. Stating that everything is slowly getting back on track despite several structural issues, he said low revenue and high expenditure were legacy challenges and added that the state is managing its commitments with support from the Union govt. Highlighting the increasing income from the agriculture and allied sectors, he pointed out the high demand for Ongole milk and Anantapur fruits, and the strong market for Rayalaseema pomegranates. "The Rs 30,000 crore outlay for the development of Rayalaseema will go a long way. There was a time when fodder was brought in trains, and people struggled to give water to cattle. Successive investments helped transform Rayalaseema. The Handri-Neeva project was taken up with the intention of ensuring water security, and the results were now visible," the CM said.On Amaravati, he said the capital will take shape within the next three years, with new link roads to the national highway expected to improve mobility and revenue. The western bypass has improved access and the upcoming inner and outer ring roads will expand connectivity further, he added. Drawing a parallel, he recounted his experience in the early 1980s when Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad looked like a forest. He said NTR offered him a plot where actor and brother-in-law Balakrishna's house now stands, but the area lacked even autorickshaw access at the time. The locality transformed within a few years, he said, adding that Amaravati would see similar growth.