AP govt begins exercise to prepare 2007-08 budget

Hyderabad, Dec 10 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister K Rosaiah today said his department has begun preparations for 2007-08 budget holding meetings with other departments from this morning.

Inaugurating a conference hall at Finance ministry chambers in the Secretariat, Mr Rosaiah said his mininstry would conduct meetings with all the departments and prepare outlays for the next annual budget.

Stating that the government has not imposed any new taxes and increased the existing tax structure since the Congress came to power in the state in May 2004, he said the government has streamlined the tax collection by inducting efficient management and administration in all departments.

The Finance department had given financial clearance to fill up more than 10,000 vacancies and sent letters to state Public Service Commission and other departments which required manpower, the Minister said, adding power tariff would not be hiked in the next year also as APTRANSCO has been awarded best energy management state in the country for the last three consecutive years.

To a query, Mr Rosaiah said the government would felicitate the leaders of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) after they complete the distribution of blankets to all students of the social welfare residential schools. The TDP has forgotten the plight of the students during its 10-year regime and was now raising the issue to gain political benefits in the next elections, he added.

Referring to opposition Telugu Desam Party's request to Governor N D Tiwari to take action against the government after the CAG indicted it in its report on the allocation of funds for the irrigation project contractors, he said, ''CAG report is not final.'' The TDP should remember that CAG also found fault with the TDP government in several instances earlier, Mr Rosaiah added.

UNI