Just a few days ahead of the first budget to be tabled in the AP residue State, it is learnt that Naidu ordered for a clearance of all bills amounting to nearly Rs 5,000 crores overnight asking the employees to work on Sunday to clear the pending bills of all departments including electricity, oil, transport etc. In this regard, orders were issued to all the treasury offices in the state.
All the bills pertaining to several works and services of the government have been put on hold since three months quoting revenue deficit, so much so that even the electricity bills of registration offices were kept pending leading to disconnection causing a lot of inconvenience. Even the maintenance bills of government offices were put on hold.
As AP government has to table its budget in the Assembly, State government has to show revenue deficit in the budget to make way for the funds allocation from the Centre. AP government has been saving funds these three months keeping in view the extreme revenue issues the State is facing. But as the State is answerable to the Centre, it has become essential for the AP to give clearances to all bills.
Otherwise it would have to show the clearances in the next budget sessions which would lead to audit problems. The government has to show provisions for the fund allocations from Centre in the present budget. It is learnt that there had been clear indications from the Central Home Ministry and Finance Ministry that the Centre is going to release funds to AP, so clearing all the bills and spending away the money has become essential. And Naidu is asking all treasury officials to burn midnight oil to give clearances to all the bills.
