Fri Feb 28 23:51:44 UTC 2025: ## Andhra Pradesh Budget Prioritizes Development, Aims for “Swarnandhra”
**Amaravati, March 1, 2025** – Andhra Pradesh’s 2025-26 budget, presented Friday by Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav, prioritizes education, healthcare, agriculture, and social welfare, aiming to achieve “Swarnandhra” (Golden Andhra) in line with the national “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) objective.
Lanka Dinakar, chairperson of the 20-Point Programme Implementation Committee, lauded the ₹3.22 lakh crore budget as a departure from the previous administration’s policies. The budget, Dinakar stated, effectively counters claims of financial hardship associated with the Amaravati capital project, presenting it instead as a self-sustaining initiative with central government support. No allocation was made for Amaravati in the budget.
A significant allocation of ₹6,705 crore has been earmarked for the completion of the Polavaram irrigation project, crucial for mitigating drought by utilizing 2,800 tmc ft of water through the Polavaram-Banakacharla project, according to Dinakar. The budget, he added, represents the first full-fledged budget of the current “double engine sarkar” (government).
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