YSRCP flags ‘discrepancies’ in Andhra Pradesh borrowings data, seeks Governor’s intervention

Amaravati: Leader of the Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, Botcha Satyanarayana, on Wednesday wrote to Governor S Abdul Nazeer, alleging concealment of facts and incorrect information by the state government regarding borrowings for 2024–25 and 2025–26.

In his letter, the YSRCP leader flagged "discrepancies" in the reply given by the Principal Finance Secretary to a starred question during the February 2026 session, stating that key components were omitted and actual borrowings were understated.

“The State Finance Department presented incorrect and incomplete information on government borrowings for 2024–25 and 2025–26 in the Council,” Satyanarayana claimed in the letter.

The Finance Department put total borrowings for 2024–25 at Rs 60,485 crore, but the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)-audited Finance Accounts show net liabilities of about Rs 81,082 crore, leaving a gap of over Rs 20,500 crore, he said.

Explaining the mismatch, the opposition leader noted that borrowings under Ways and Means Advances from the RBI, liabilities under the public account, such as deposits and reserve funds, and GST compensation loan adjustments were not properly reflected.

He further said that when the fiscal deficit itself exceeds Rs 81,000 crore, presenting a lower borrowing figure creates a misleading picture of the state’s financial position and understates the actual debt burden.

Raising another issue, Satyanarayana alleged that the government’s claim of zero off-budget borrowings for 2025–26 was incorrect, pointing to loans raised by state-backed corporations with government guarantees.

He also highlighted "inconsistencies" in reporting, noting that public debt and public account figures were included in borrowing data for 2014–2024 but excluded for 2024–25 and 2025–26, raising "serious concerns".

Satyanarayana urged the governor to intervene and ensure corrective action, stating that the reply should be withdrawn and replaced with accurate figures aligned with CAG-audited accounts.

He stressed that presenting incomplete or incorrect information to the Legislature undermines accountability and public trust, and called for "fixing responsibility" for the discrepancies.