Amaravati: Eco Survey fails to reflect reality

Amaravati: The Economic Survey brings out the economic trends and facilitates a better appreciation of the mobilisation of resources and their allocation in the Budget. The Survey analyses the trends in agricultural and industrial production, infrastructure, employment, money supply, prices, imports, exports, foreign exchange reserves and other relevant economic factors that have a bearing on the Budget. This Survey is not merely a statement of receipts and expenditure. Since Independence, with the launch of Five-Year Plans, it has become a significant statement of government policy. The Budget reflects and shapes, and is, in turn, shaped by the country's or the State's economy.

One comes to know, through the Survey, how much is kept aside for capital formation, how much is earmarked directly for various sectors. In brief, it is a projection of the economic road that lies ahead for the next year. However, the Socio-Economic Survey of the AP government released here on Wednesday is a huge disappointment. Its salient features highlight the welfare measures launched by the government while listing out its priorities. It also lists the government's women empowerment programmes, housing, social safety net and welfare measure and farmers' welfare. Its focus on Health and Medicare reads more like its daily Covid bulletin listing out the cases registered of the coronavirus and oxygen supply, etc.

It does not speak about the economic position of the State and indicates nothing about revival of the economy. The highlights on Industry and Infrastructure do not spell out measures to be adopted for industrial growth and job creation. In fact, it does not spell out its vision and direction that the industrial sector is set to take for developing the State.

There should have been a greater thrust on Covid medicare facilities in the State because we are one of the highly impacted States in this regard. AP has been claiming astute upgradation of its healthcare infrastructure foreseeing the Covid related complications for the past one year at least. And we are still talking about the same even now. Why all these casualties then?

The Survey released at best reflects the political priorities of the government but not the developmental priorities of the State For record sake, the Survey points out that the GSDP growth stands at 1.58 per cent against the negative growth of -3.8 percent of the nation. The per capita income has increased to Rs 1,70,215 from Rs 1,68,480 of the previous year, it states.