Priority given to edu, healthcare, agriculture in State Budget

Vijayawada: Lanka Dinakar, Chairman of the Twenty Points Programme, has said Andhra Pradesh Budget presented in the Assembly on Friday will make Swarnandhra a part of a Viksit Bharat with priority given for inclusive growth on education, healthcare, agriculture, development and social welfare.

Speaking to the media at the Secretariat at Velagapudi, Dinakar said Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav presented the first full-fledged budget 2025-26 in the present Double Engine Sarkar, aimed at development and welfare with an outlay of Rs 3.22 lakh crore.

He said the Budget allocations were made to boost development with a capital expenditure of Rs 40,635 crore for job and employment generation with productive asset creation. He further said this Budget has given priority to the revival of Jal Jeevan Mission, with an allocation of Rs 2,800 crore for this year. He felt the establishment of a corpus fund of Rs 2,000 crore for people’s participation in PPP through 20% Viability Gap Fund was a good sign and hoped the Budget will increase investor confidence. He said four new industrial estates including Donakonda and Kuppam provide employment opportunities in backward districts.