Budget 2025 | Poet Gurajada gets mention, radio silence for Andhra Pradesh

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman linked Andhra Pradesh’s future with Telugu poetry while presenting the Union Budget. She began her budget speech with a poem by the progressive poet Gurajada Apparao, but left Andhra Pradesh empty-handed. Since the bifurcation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the latter has suffered severe financial setbacks. Despite expectations of significant development, the people of Andhra Pradesh have faced continuous neglect for the past decade. Even the state’s own leaders have played along with these deceptions, misleading the public. Several economists believe the 2025-26 budget is a testament to this ongoing betrayal.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the first phase of the vaccination drive on January 16, 2021, via video conference, covering 3,006 centers across the country. At that time, he urged people to support each other in these challenging times. Quoting Gurajada’s iconic lines, "Sontha laabham kontha manuku, porugu vaadiki todupadavoyi… Deshamante matti kaadoyi, deshamante manushuloyi..." (Sacrifice some personal gains and help your neighbour… The nation is not just land, it is its people), the prime minister emphasised unity and support.

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Now, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has taken a similar approach. Perhaps she intended to express the country’s hardships, but as she recited "Deshamante matti kaadoyi... Deshamante manushuloyi..." while presenting the budget, the people of Andhra Pradesh were left in shock.

The central government depends on the strength of MPs from Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. While Bihar received several allocations, Andhra Pradesh was entirely ignored. With upcoming elections in Bihar, the finance minister showered the state with benefits. The latest budget included special allocations for Bihar, such as the establishment of a Makhana Board to support farmers involved in the Makhana trade. Additionally, financial aid was promised for the Western Kosi Canal, benefiting 50,000 acres in the Mithilanchal region. Plans were also announced for a greenfield airport in Bihar, expansion of IIT Patna, and the establishment of a National Institute of Food Technology to support food processing initiatives.

The BJP currently shares power with the JD(U) in Bihar, where JD(U) is a key ally in the central government. Though the demand for special status for Bihar was overlooked, significant budgetary allocations were made, evidently keeping the upcoming elections in mind.

Andhra left in the dark

The central government’s neglect of Andhra Pradesh in the budget raises questions for Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. Their response, and how the public reacts to it, remains to be seen.

Polavaram is a national project, and its construction is the central government’s responsibility. Cost calculations are unnecessary in this regard. Andhra Pradesh was not allocated a single employment-generating project. Despite its crucial political significance, the state was ignored. Analysts argue that Naidu and Kalyan must take a more aggressive stance against the central government.

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The state’s long-pending demands remain unaddressed. Special category status was not granted. The request for the cancellation of CGST was ignored. No funds were allocated for new irrigation projects or for the development of backward regions. No grants were provided for capital city development. There isn’t a single large-scale public sector project in the state, leading to economic stagnation. Andhra Pradesh is already burdened with debts exceeding ₹10 lakh crore, of which 50% should be borne by the central government. However, the Centre has ignored this demand as well. The proposed railway zone has not materialised, and the unrest among Visakhapatnam Steel Plant workers remains unresolved. The state has not been awarded a single revenue-generating project.

Speaking to The Federal Andhra Pradesh, Professor V. Anjireddy of Acharya Nagarjuna University stated that the central government has completely ignored Andhra Pradesh in this budget. He observed that the budget primarily focuses on increasing purchasing power among the upper-middle class, thereby boosting government revenues through taxation. However, there is no mention of central investments in Andhra Pradesh. The budget clearly aims to sustain the government through increased tax revenues from private sector growth rather than direct central funding for the state.

This article was originally published in The Federal Andhra Pradesh.