HYDERABAD
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka criticised the BRS for boycotting his reply to the discussion on Budget, as the “Opposition party is unable to digest the good work being done by the Congress Government since it had failed to do any good to people during its 10-year tenure.”
Speaking in the Assembly, as part of his reply to the discussion on Budget on Tuesday, he said that the BRS party’s move was clearly indicating their respect or lack of it to people and insulting the democratic institutions where the issues concerning people are discussed.
Stating that the Congress Government was giving top priority to the welfare of all sections, including government employees, Mr. Vikramarka said that a total of over ₹56,000 crore was allocated to welfare schemes and initiatives in the Budget estimates for 2026-27.
He explained that the experimental accidental insurance scheme implemented in Singareni Collieries first was being extended to all government employees from 2026-27 with claim up to ₹1.2 crore in case of their accidental death while in service.
Criticising the previous government (BRS) for releasing Rythu Bandhu support only with an eye on votes as it was credited even on the day of polling in the past, the Deputy Chief Minister said they were crediting it well advance every time. On the crop loan waiver scheme implemented by the BRS government, he said it was given over 4 years every time and it was not enought even to meet the interest burden.
On pending Bills passed on by the previous regime, Mr. Vikramarka said about ₹6,500 crore Bills pertaining to the previous dispensation were cleared by the Congress Government. Now, the government was not keeping any medical bills pending as they were being cleared every month. On the diet and rental bills of schools, he said they too were being cleared regularly unlike in the past.
Stating that the loan repayment burden on the government was increasing every year, thanks to the borrowings made by the previous rule indiscriminately, he noted that the repayments which stood at ₹7,254 crore in 2014 had gone up to ₹93,194 crore in 2025.
Turning to the BJP, he ridiculed the party members’ remark on Budget as cheating. “The Centre is cheating TG as our State is being discriminated in devolution of funds as it is getting only 30 paise from the Centre against every rupee it was contributing”.
Earlier, Deputy Floor Leader of BRS in the Assembly T. Harish Rao said they were boycotting the reply on Budget discussion protesting an opportunity for clarifications on the Chief Minister’s reply on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s address.
Published – March 24, 2026 09:29 pm IST
