Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Buggana Rajendernath on Friday presented the budget for the year 2022-23, with an outlay of Rs 2,56,257 crore, an increase of 11.50 per cent over the previous year.

The revenue expenditure has been pegged at Rs 2,08,261 crore, while the capital expenditure is estimated at Rs 47,996 crore.

The estimated revenue deficit is around Rs 17,036 crore up from Rs 5,000 crore the previous year, while the fiscal deficit is estimated at around Rs 48,724 crore, up from Rs 37,030 crore.

Presenting his fourth consecutive budget, the finance minister allocated the lion's share for social welfare, in tune with the policies and priorities of the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government.

Agriculture has been allocated Rs 11,387 crore, medical and health Rs 15,384 crore up from Rs 13,830 crore for FY 2021-22.

The sub-plan for Scheduled Castes (SCs) has been fixed at Rs 18,518 crore, for Scheduled Tribes (STs) Rs 6,145 crore, for Backward Classes (BCs) Rs 29,143.65 crore and for minorities Rs 3,532 crore. The allocation for minorities has come down from Rs 3,841 crore in the previous fiscal. For the welfare of Economically Backward Classes (EBCs), the government allocated Rs 6,693 crore, up from Rs 5,478 crore in 2021-22.

The finance minister allocated Rs 22,706 crore for secondary education and Rs 2,104 crore higher education.

The health sector has been allocated Rs 15,384 crore which includes Rs 2,000 for YSR Aarogyasri (free health insurance for poor), Rs 500 Nadu Nedu hospitals, Rs 2,462 crore for National Health Mission, Rs 753 crore for medical colleges, Rs 300 crore for YSR Arogya Asra and Rs 170 crore for hospitals in tribal areas.

On the development and infrastructure front, Rs 2,755 crore were allocated for industrial development. Rs 1,142 crore for infrastructure, roads and buildings Rs 8,581 crore allocated for transport, roads and buildings department and Rs 10,281 crore for the energy sector.

The finance minister has also made a provision of Rs 236 crore for Visakhapatnam-Chennai industrial corridor.