Chandrababu’s Lavish Spending Is Financially Draining Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam: The lavish spending by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his cabinet ministers is financially draining the Andhra Pradesh state exchequer, former IAS officer EAS Sarma said.

In an open letter to the chief minister, he said excessive expenditure for capital city development and uncontrolled foreign tours in expensive private jets by state ministers is resulting in huge expense of public money. Consequently, the state exchequer is always in deficit, he said and mentioned the acknowledgement by state finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu that AP finances are a cause for worry. "Though the division of united Andhra Pradesh can be attributed to some extent for the state of affairs, it cannot be the sole reason for dwindling finances in the state,” Sarma added.

He called on the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues to take a lesson from neighbouring states where the chief ministers travel by regular commercial flights and do not use expensive private jets. "Use of commercial planes and reduction in unwanted foreign tours will help save public money. This in turn can be used for students' fee reimbursement, health schemes and social welfare projects," the former IAS officer pointed out. "Leaders must act with responsibility and should be aware that they are answerable to the people," Sarma said.

He even gave instances of public servants being removed from service in foreign countries if they are found wasting public money. "US Health Secretary Tom Price resigned over the use of expensive private planes for official business. He apologised after making 26 private flights at a cost of $400,000 to taxpayers. Similarly, French prime minister Edouard Philippe was forced to defend his decision to hire a private jet for €350,000 to fly back from Japan. These are examples worth learning from to save the state from financial catastrophe," EAS Sarma said in the open letter.