Amaravati, Nov 15 (PTI) Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said Andhra Pradesh has incurred a debt of Rs 9.74 lakh crore during the YSRCP rule, and wondered if it could rise further.
Listing the components of the debt, the chief minister said it includes Rs 4.3 lakh crore state debt, Rs 80,914 crore Public Account Liabilities (PAL), Rs 2.47 lakh crore corporations debt, civil supplies debt of Rs 36,000 crore, power sector debt of Rs 34,267 crore, outstanding dues to vendors Rs 1.13 lakh crore, dues to employees Rs 21,980 crore, and non-contribution of syncing fund Rs 1,191 crore.
"We don't know how much more debt will be found on digging further," said Naidu in the Assembly.
The CM said that if anybody denies these debts, they are welcome to verify the account books.
Naidu’s substantiation of the state debt comes in the wake of former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy asserting that the NDA government budget estimates have pegged the debt at Rs 6.46 lakh between 2019 and 2024.
Further, the CM alleged that the previous YSRCP government 'totally' reduced capital expenditure, among other irregularities.
According to the TDP supremo, the YSRCP government had "destroyed" the brand image of the southern state, left no financial reserves, ‘avoided’ asset-creating activities and ‘chased away investors’.
Referring to the nearly Rs 500 crore palatial mansion built on sea-facing Rushikonda hill in Vizag, Naidu alleged that Reddy not only built palaces and offices for himself, but also his family members.
He alleged that the YSRCP government had gone ahead with the palace construction disregarding the environment and concerns expressed by the National Green Tribunal and courts.
Though the palace was built with hundreds of crores of rupees, Naidu highlighted that Reddy could not enter it. He alleged that the YSRCP chief had allegedly channelled Rs 400 crore as advertisement revenue to his Sakshi newspaper.
Calling social media trolling as "organised crime", the CM alleged that Reddy has assembled an army of social media ‘psychos’, who are not even sparing the latter’s mother and indulging in character assassination of women.
Further, the CM said land has been allocated for the railway zone, which is expected to come in Vizag and noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay its foundation.
He said housewarming ceremonies for one lakh houses under welfare housing will be done in December, adding that housing plots of three cents in villages and two cents in cities will be given to eligible beneficiaries.
Besides, the CM assured to introduce more welfare schemes than those promised in the run-up to polls.