A tightrope walk as debt burden weighs

Vijayawada: It has been a tightrope walk for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led National Democratic Alliance government in Andhra Pradesh, which is completing one year in office on Thursday (today), and its Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. Though the government under the leadership of Naidu initiated a slew of measures to boost economic growth and implemented welfare schemes, it had to work against all odds given the debt burden that weighed on the State.
Naidu, who assumed charge as of AP Chief Minister for the fourth time on June 12, 2024, frequently said he started off with a millstone around his neck. He pointed out that the previous government had pushed the state back by 30 years, burdening it with Rs 10 lakh crore in debts and another Rs 1.2 lakh crore in unpaid bills. 'The annual interest alone stands at Rs 40,000 crore,' he remarked when the NDA government assumed office.
Looking back, the Chief Minister said recently: 'Brick by brick, we are rebuilding the devastated state and in just one year, we have shown what good governance looks like by giving priority to both welfare and development.'
Minister for Information and Public Relations K Parthasarathi told Hans India that the one-year period of the NDA government focused on both welfare and development. He said both Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and IT Minister Nara Lokesh aimed at wealth creation and uplift of the poor, simultaneously implementing welfare schemes. He said the coalition government had laid a solid foundation for the benefit of future generations.
To begin with, the NDA government enhanced the old age pension to Rs 4,000 per month. Apart from that, it has been distributing pension amounts of Rs 6,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 to various categories of people including physically challenged. The state government is spending a whopping Rs 33,000 crore a year on pensions to 64 lakh people. No other state government pays such high pension amounts in the country.
In addition, under Deepam 2, the NDA government is giving three free LPG cylinders per year to women.
Besides, the state government revived 73 central schemes, though the previous government had diverted central funds, resulting in AP being blacklisted.
The NDA government is now planning to provide free solar rooftops to 20 lakh SC/ST houses under PM Surya Ghar Yojana. Upon taking office, the NDA govt repealed the Land Titling Act that had removed protection for people's lands and introduced a new Anti-Land Grabbing Act.
With the Centre's support, the state government put the much-awaited Polavaram Project back on track. The project will now be completed by December 2027.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

News18

39 minutes ago

• News18

Dividend, Bonus & Split This Week: HDFC, Vedanta, HUL Among 50 Stocks In Action

Last Updated: The Indian stock market will see significant corporate actions from June 23-28, 2025, including dividends, bonus issues, and stock splits from major companies. Upcoming Dividend, Bonus and Stock Split: This week, the Indian stock market will witness a flurry of corporate actions between June 23 and June 28, 2025. Several companies have announced final and interim dividends, bonus issues, and stock splits, making it an important period for investors tracking payout and capital restructuring events. Major Dividend Announcements HUL Final Dividend 2025 Ex-Date Hindustan Unilever Ltd will pay a final dividend of Rs. 24 per share with the ex-date set for June 23. This is among the highest dividends from FMCG this season. Vedanta Interim Dividend 2025 Vedanta Ltd will offer an interim dividend of Rs. 7 per share, also with an ex-date of June 24. Cipla Dividend 2025 Cipla Ltd has announced both a final dividend of Rs. 13 and a special dividend of Rs. 3, to be distributed on June 27. HDFC Bank Dividend 2025 HDFC Bank Ltd joins the list with a dividend of Rs. 22 per share, effective June 27. Other Company Dividend Polycab India Ltd has declared a final dividend of Rs. 35 per share, and the ex-date is June 24. Swaraj Engines Ltd tops the payout list this week with a massive final dividend of Rs. 104.50, ex-date June 27. Maharashtra Scooters Ltd will distribute a final dividend of Rs. 30 and a special dividend of Rs. 30, also on June 27. RPG Life Sciences Ltd has declared a final dividend of Rs. 20 and special dividend of Rs. 4, effective June 27. Bajaj Holdings & Investment Ltd is also rewarding shareholders with a final dividend of Rs. 28 per share, ex-date June 27. Kalpataru Projects declared a final dividend of Rs. 9 per share, effective June 23. Bonus Issues This Week V-Mart Retail Ltd will issue a 3:1 bonus, meaning three bonus shares for every one held, with an ex-date of June 23. Investment & Precision Castings Ltd will issue a 1:1 bonus on June 27, doubling the number of shares held. Stock Splits This Week Laddu Gopal Online Services Ltd will undergo a stock split from Rs. 10 to Rs. 2 face value on June 24. Elitecon International Ltd will split its shares from Rs. 10 to Rs. 1 on June 25. Padam Cotton Yarns Ltd will follow suit with a 10-to-1 split on June 27. Other Corporate Actions Some smaller but notable moves include Infibeam Avenues Ltd's right issue on June 26, CARE Ratings' Rs. 11 dividend, and Alkyl Amines' Rs. 10 final dividend, both on June 27. Also, Enbee Trade has announced a tiny interim dividend of Rs. 0.01 on June 26, while Visaka Industries, Vaibhav Global, and Jayant Agro are among other firms distributing modest dividends this week.

Hans India

an hour ago

• Hans India

Kamal has stirred a hornet's nest

The language row that has resurfaced in South India is indeed an unfortunate development. It is a common phenomenon that all political parties indulge in and instigate voters' temperament during election time to derive political mileage. Generally political exploitation of voters is taken for granted on issues like regionalism, language and religion. The people of Tamil Nadu are in the forefront of using such issues. Tamil leaders have raked up the language controversy a few months prior to the Legislative Assembly elections, scheduled for next year. Kamal Haasan has blatantly issued a statement contending that Tamil is the mother of all Dravidian languages and Kannada was born out of it. Chief Minister MK Stalin is bound to use the language controversy generated by Kamal Haasan for political gains. Kamal's statement has led to the boycott of screening his film "Thug Life" in Karnataka, which was eventually set right by the courts. The political party floated by Kamal Haasan has flunked miserably, while for political convenience the DMK party has befriended him and rewarded with a ticket to the Rajya Sabha. One should not forget that DMK engineered anti-Hindi agitation to ride to power in 1967. Quite ironically, now the DMK leaders are maintaining stoic silence on "Thug Life". The language blockade between Tamil and Kannada is a new twist to the already existing Kaveri water dispute and other border issues. People need to be vigilant against those creating controversies that are propped up by political parties. Kamal Haasan, who is responsible for the language controversy, must apologise to Kannadigas and create a friendly atmosphere among different language speaking people in the south. BH Indu Sekhar, Hyderabad

Hans India

an hour ago

• Hans India

HM Shah to visit Chhattisgarh today to bolster anti-Maoist strategy

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to arrive in Chhattisgarh on Sunday for a crucial two-day visit to strengthen the ongoing crackdown against left-wing extremism and launch key infrastructure projects to support forensic investigation capabilities in the region. During the visit (June 22-23), HM Shah is scheduled to chair a high-level meeting with senior security and administrative officials to evaluate the progress made in the fight against Maoist insurgency. The meeting will also focus on refining the Centre's strategy to achieve the declared goal of eliminating Maoist influence by the set deadline of March 31, 2026. Highlighting the Centre's commitment to long-term stability and improved security infrastructure in the region, Shah will also lay the foundation stone for a campus of the prestigious National Forensic Science University (NFSU) in Naya Raipur. The proposed world-class campus will be developed on 40 acres of land already allocated by the state government. The estimated cost for the project is between Rs 350–400 crore and will be entirely funded by the Central government. In addition to the NFSU campus, a separate 6-acre area has been earmarked for a state-run forensic laboratory, aimed at further enhancing the state's investigative capabilities. According to Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma, the Union Home Minister will perform the 'bhoomi-pujan' for both facilities during his visit. Shah will also spend time at one of the frontline security camps, reflecting the Centre's solidarity with forces operating in high-risk zones. Sources familiar with the anti-Naxal operations have reported significant success, with 32 out of 45 members of the Maoist Central Committee already neutralised in various encounters. Efforts continue to locate and apprehend the remaining top leaders of the outlawed outfit.