Union Budget 'ignores' Andhra's funding needs: YSRCP

The opposition YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday said the Union Budget 2026-27 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman failed to allocate adequate funds to the state, particularly for key infrastructure and rural development. YSRCP Parliamentary Party leader YV Subba Reddy said allocations for the Polavaram irrigation project were reduced and the project's height was limited to 41.15 metres, creating serious difficulties for the state. ''The Union Budget 2026-27 has failed to provide adequate allocations for Andhra Pradesh, especially for critical infrastructure and rural development,'' Reddy said, addressing a press conference in New Delhi. The Andhra Pradesh government has failed to exert pressure on the Centre to secure adequate funds for Polavaram project. He said only Rs 3,320 crore was sanctioned for the project in 2026-27, despite repeated demands for enhanced funding to ensure timely completion. Andhra Pradesh was also denied high-speed rail connectivity, even as such corridors were sanctioned in other parts of the country, including to other southern cities-- Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai. He said the southern state, despite being newly formed, has a strong requirement for major rail corridors, particularly high-speed rail links such as Visakhapatnam-Chennai or Visakhapatnam-Bengaluru ones, which would significantly aid industrial and overall development. The opposition leader said funds for rural development were reduced, raising concerns over governance and development in rural regions, and added that YSRCP would raise the issue in Parliament. Reddy added allocations under schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana should be increased to prevent obstacles to rural development. He also said the Economic Survey praised the governance of the erstwhile YSRCP government between 2019 and 2024 and noted that the digital land survey was carried out effectively during former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's administration. He said that despite being in the opposition, the YSRCP would undertake programmes to exert pressure on the Centre to address Andhra Pradesh's development needs.