Disorganized approach to policy, budget formulation in Andhra Pradesh, at least in handloom sector

By Umesh Babu and Antara Mukherjee*

Total Expenditure Budget of Andhra Pradesh has increased from Rs 1,56,999.40 crore in the year 2017-18 to Rs 1,91,063.61 crore; increase of Rs 34,064.21 crore (21.69%). It gives a better image and impression. To rely on the quality of budget formulation for policies implementation, we have taken the sample of Handloom Weavers, covered under the department “Handloom and Textiles”.
Total budget of Handloom and Textiles Department in the year 2018-19 is Rs 273.42 crore; an increase of Rs 42.18 crore over the budget Rs 231.25 crore of previous year 2017-18.

Important Observation of Schemes / Programs:

1. Indian Institute of Handloom Technology:

Salaries: Allocation in salary head for the institute has been reduced. In the year 2017-18 budget estimate was Rs 79.46 lakhs and in the year 2018-19 it is Rs 63.59 lakh. A decrease by Rs 15.87 lakh. It indicates that the institute might be gradually shut down.
A new scheme ‘Other Administrative Expenses’ has been launched for the year 2018- 19 with financial allocation of Rs 200 lakh. Total budget for the institute in the year 2017-18 was Rs 137.09 lakhs and in the years 2018-19 it is Rs 308.99 lakhs. If we separate the allocated fund for the new scheme and compare the figures of allocation for the year 2018-19, it comes out to be 108.99 lakhs. Which means in the existing programs of the state, there is a reduction of Rs 28.01 lakhs.

2. Interest Subsidy/Rebate Scheme: Budget for this scheme has been reduced from Rs 6.00 crore in the year 2017-18 to Rs 4.00 crore in the year 2018-19. It is important to note that the expenditure in the year 2016-17 was 4.64 crore, higher than the allocation of the current year.
3. Small Scale Industries (SI) clusters under the Package Scheme – Handlooms Cluster Development Programs: This scheme has been discontinued by the way of not allocating budget in two subsequent years i.e. 2017-18 and 2018-19. In the year 2016-17 expenditure under this scheme was Rs 25 crore.
4. Assistance for livelihood enhancement of weavers: Budget has been increased for this scheme under the head of “Other Grant-in- Aid” from Rs 23.42 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 200 crore in the year 2018-19, an increase by Rs 176.58 crore.
5. Assistance towards loan waiver to weavers: Allocation for this scheme is only Rs 1 lakh in both years 2017-18 and 2018-19.
6. Financial Assistance to Handloom and Textiles Promotion: Budget has been decreased from Rs 50 crore in year 2017-18 to Rs 25 crore in the year 2018-19. A decrease of Rs 25 crore.
7. Margin Money Assistance to APCO under NCDC Scheme: This scheme has been discontinued by way of not allocating budget in two subsequent years i.e. 2017-18 and 2018-19. In the year 2016-17 total expenditure was Rs 5 crore.
8. State share for Revival Reform and Restructuring package for Handloom Sector: Allocation for this scheme is only Rs 1 lakh in both years 2017-18 and 2018-19.
9. Cooperative Handloom Weavers Thrift Fund Scheme: Budget for the scheme is reduced from Rs 3.5 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 2.5 crore in the year 2018-19.
10. Subsidy on Purchase of Raw Material: Budget is increased from Rs 8 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 11 crore in the year 2018-19.
11. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY): Budget is increased from Rs 6 crore in the year 2017-18 to Rs 15 crore in the year 2018-19. 12. Loan Assistance under NCDC Scheme: Budget is decreased from Rs 36.98 crore in the years 2017-18 to Rs 10.00 crore in the year 2018-19.

Remarks:

The overall scenario represents a disorganized approach in policy and budget formulation of the State, at least in handloom sector. The programs that have been working well have been abandoned by way of not allocating funds. Instead of correcting the lapses in existing programs formulation and implementation, new programs are launched to solve the problems. Practically, bureaucracy is not a complete mechanical instrument to adopt new program and in full swing and solve the existential problems of the weavers.
Politically, government can claim of increasing budget. Within these two propositions, chaos is created and public at large gets confused about who is wrong: politics, bureaucracy or the public. This state of confusion creates a situation for politicians to get away scot free and find several excuses for the persistent and consistent growth in poverty, suicides, debt trap, hunger death, etc. In one scheme there is an increase of Rs 176.58 crore and budget size becomes Rs 200 crore in the year 2018-19.
Total increase in departmental budget is Rs 42.18 crore. It means there are the several other smaller components where the budget is reduced and compromised with one scheme so that total budget of the department is in limit by a marginal increase of Rs 42.18 crore The schemes that have been reduced or brought to the point of closing down, will affect not only the weavers but also to State economy and bureaucratic infrastructure. Detailed enquiry of the budget and policies may give other sights or vision to get complete conclusion of the lapses in budget and policy formulation.
---
*Delhi Solidarity Group

Comments

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup* I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Study links sanctions to 500,000 deaths annually leading to rise in global backlash

By Bharat Dogra International opinion is increasingly turning against the expanding burden of sanctions imposed on a growing number of countries. These measures are contributing to humanitarian crises, intensifying domestic discord, and heightening international tensions, thereby increasing the risks of conflicts and wars.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge — Blurring the line between fiction and political narrative

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" does not wait to be remembered; it arrives almost on the heels of its predecessor, released on March 19, 2026, just months after the first film’s December 2025 debut. The speed of its arrival feels less like creative urgency and more like calculated timing—cinema responding not to storytelling rhythm but to the emotional climate of its audience. Director Aditya Dhar, along with actor Yami Gautam, appears acutely aware of this moment and how to harness it.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

BJP accounts for 99% of political donations in Gujarat: Corporate giants dominate

By Jag Jivan An analysis of the official data on donations received by national parties from Gujarat during the Financial Year 2024-25 reveals a staggering concentration of funding, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounting for nearly the entirety of the contributions. The data, compiled in a document titled "National Parties donations received from Gujarat during FY-2024-25," lists thousands of transactions, painting a detailed picture of the financial backing for political parties from one of India’s most industrially significant states.

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Captains extraordinaire: Ranking cricket’s most influential skippers

By Harsh Thakor* Ranking the greatest cricket captains is a subjective exercise, often sparking passionate debate among fans. The following list is not merely a tally of wins and losses; it is an assessment of leadership’s deeper impact. My criteria fuse a captain’s playing record with their tactical skill, placing the highest consideration on their ability to reshape a team’s fortunes and inspire those around them. A captain who inherited a dominant empire is judged differently from one who resurrected a nation’s cricket from the doldrums. With that in mind, here is my perspective on the finest leaders the game has ever seen.

‘No merit’ in Chakraborty’s claims: Personal ethics talk sans details raises questions

By Jag Jivan A recent opinion piece published in The Quint by Subhash Chandra Garg has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Atanu Chakraborty from HDFC Bank , with Garg stating that the exit “raises doubts about his own ‘ethics’.” Garg, currently Chief Policy Advisor at Subhanjali and former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, writes that the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) appears to find no substance in Chakraborty’s claims, noting, “It is clear the RBI sees no merit in Atanu Chakraborty’s wild and vague assertions.”

Search This Blog