Amaravati, Feb 28 (PTI) The Andhra Pradesh budget for the fiscal 2025-26 tabled on Friday by the TDP-led NDA government accorded top priority to welfare schemes, promising to dole out Rs 20,000 per annum for farmers, doubling of financial relief for fishermen during a ban period and Rs 15,000 to school going children up to the intermediate level under "Talliki Vandanam" scheme.

The "Talliki Vandanam" scheme is one of the Super Six promises made by the ruling bloc during the 2024 Assembly polls.

Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav tabled the Rs 3.22 lakh crore budget and proposed Rs 20,281 crore for the Scheduled Caste (SC) component, Rs 8,159 crore for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) component, Rs 47,456 crore for the Backward Classes (BC) component and Rs 5,434 crore for the welfare of minority communities.

"I take pride in announcing that the government is launching the Talliki Vandanam scheme, to provide financial support of Rs 15,000 in the academic year 2025-26. The scheme will cover children enrolled in Classes I to XII in both government and private schools," Keshav said.

"No matter in what financial situation we are in, our farmers will receive Rs 20,000 annually under the Annadata Sukhibhava scheme," he said.

Super Six schemes, pledged in the run up to the 2024 polls, include Rs 1,500 monthly aid to every woman in the age bracket of 19 to 59 years, 20 lakh jobs for youth or Rs 3,000 monthly unemployment aid and free bus travel for women.

Other schemes under Super Six are--Rs 15,000 to every school-going child per annum (Talliki Vandanam), three free gas cylinders to every household (Deepam – 2) and Rs 20,000 annual financial assistance to every farmer (Annadata Sukhibhava).

He also announced doubling of financial relief to Rs 20,000 for fishermen during the fishing ban period.

Keshav told the House that the TDP-led NDA government is planning to implement insurance-based health coverage of Rs 25 lakh per family in the next fiscal.

The budget of over Rs 3.22 lakh crore encompasses an estimated revenue expenditure of Rs 2.51 lakh crore and capital expenditure of Rs 40,635 crore.

Keshav, while presenting the budget said the estimated revenue deficit is around Rs 33,185 crore (1.82 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product) and the fiscal deficit is around Rs 79,926 crore (4.38 per cent of the GSDP).

The budget proposed an allocation of Rs 31,805 crore for school education and Rs 19,264 crore for the Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department.

The Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Department, a portfolio held by deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, got Rs 18,847 crore.

Allocating Rs 13,862 crore to the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, Keshav asserted that the greenfield capital city Amaravati has proved to become a self-financing project without state budget assistance as the financing has been secured through the Centre from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and HUDCO.

For the Energy Department, he proposed a sum of Rs 13,600 crore. According to Keshav, AP's energy sector is undergoing a transformative revival, with the state aiming to emerge as a green hydrogen hub.

Other major allocations included Rs 8,785 crore for the Department of Transport, Roads and Buildings and Rs 8,570 crore for the Home Department.

In his speech, Keshav said the government was presenting the budget in the backdrop of the "financial destruction caused by the previous (YSRCP) regime".

"It has been a highly complex task, because the previous regime created financial chaos in every department," he alleged.

"Andhra Pradesh, under the leadership of Nara Chandrababu Naidu, is ushering in a new era of governance built on a healthy, wealthy, happy society… our target of SwarnaAndhra@2047 (vision) is ambitious, but possible," the FM added.

Later, Agriculture Minister K Atchennaidu presented the Agriculture budget amounting to Rs 48,341 crore for FY26. PTI STH GDK SA