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YSRCP state spokesperson Putta Siva Shankar on Tuesday accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of taking credit for development achievements made during the tenure of former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, claiming that the state's latest ranking in the Access (In)equality Index reflected the previous government's work.
Addressing the media at the party office in Tadepalli, Shankar said Andhra Pradesh's improved ranking in the index was the result of initiatives undertaken during the YSRCP government's tenure and could not be attributed to the present coalition government. The Access (In)equality Index, prepared by the Centre for New Economics Studies at O.P. Jindal Global University, assesses states on parameters including education, healthcare, basic services and social security. According to Shankar, Andhra Pradesh ranked 10th in the 2021 report, based on 2014-19 data, before improving to third in 2024 during Jagan's tenure. The state has now secured the second position, he said, adding that the latest ranking continued to reflect the impact of the previous government's initiatives. Listing the initiatives undertaken during the YSRCP regime, Shankar cited the Nadu-Nedu school infrastructure programme, Aarogyasri, establishment of new medical colleges, recruitment of more than 50,000 personnel in the health sector, village secretariats, Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs), village clinics and direct benefit transfers. He also referred to the development of ports and fishing harbours. Targeting the coalition government's financial management, the YSRCP spokesperson alleged that Andhra Pradesh's state tax revenue had declined from Rs 89,435 crore in 2024-25 to Rs 86,552 crore in 2025-26, marking a fall of 3.2 per cent. He claimed that the coalition government was borrowing an average of Rs 460 crore every day and had accumulated borrowings of Rs 3,99,498 crore over 29 months. Shankar put the state's per-capita debt at Rs 2,11,588 and warned that it could reach Rs 5 lakh within the next two years. He also alleged that Andhra Pradesh's Ease of Doing Business ranking had slipped from first to eighth position and claimed that industries were leaving the state. Raising concerns over employment, Shankar cited an unemployment rate of 21 per cent in Andhra Pradesh against the national average of 14.6 per cent, describing it as the third-highest in the country. The YSRCP spokesperson alleged that the figures reflected the coalition government's performance and questioned its claims of development and economic progress. (ANI)
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