Overview
- Leader of the Opposition Botcha Satyanarayana wrote to Governor S Abdul Nazeer on Wednesday alleging the Finance Department gave incomplete borrowing data to the Legislative Council.
- He said the department reported Rs 60,485 crore in borrowings for 2024–25, while CAG-audited accounts show about Rs 81,082 crore in net liabilities, creating a gap of more than Rs 20,500 crore.
- He argued the figures left out Ways and Means Advances from the RBI, which are short-term loans to manage cash flow, as well as net changes in the Public Account like deposits and reserve funds and GST compensation loan adjustments.
- He also disputed the claim of zero off-budget borrowing in 2025–26, pointing to loans raised by MARKFED and the Civil Supplies Corporation with state guarantees as obligations that should count.
- State spokesperson N Vijay Kumar and Finance Minister Payyavula Kesav rejected the charge, saying the House was not misled, part of 2024–25 borrowing occurred under the previous government, and guaranteed loans by corporations do not constitute state debt.