Visakhapatnam, April 8 (NationPress) The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, Botcha Satyanarayana, has addressed a letter to Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, asserting that the State Finance Department presented data on government borrowings for the fiscal years 2024-25 and 2025-26 that is both incorrect and incomplete.

In his correspondence, Botcha Satyanarayana highlighted that the response provided by the Principal Finance Secretary to a starred question during the February 2026 session significantly underestimated the true borrowings and left out essential elements.

He urged the Governor to take action and emphasize to the government the necessity of supplying accurate and comprehensive information to the legislature.

“The Finance Department claimed that total borrowings for 2024-25 stood at Rs. 60,485 crore. However, the audited Finance Accounts by the CAG reveal that the actual net liabilities amount to approximately Rs. 81,082 crore. This discrepancy results in a gap of over Rs. 20,500 crore that is unjustifiable,” he stated.

The YSR Congress Party released a copy of Botcha's letter to the media on Wednesday.

To elucidate the inconsistency, Botcha noted that three principal components were potentially overlooked.

“Borrowings under Ways and Means Advances from the RBI were excluded, despite being categorized as internal debt in official documentation. Net liabilities under the Public Account, including deposits and reserve funds, were also disregarded, even though they are utilized to address the fiscal deficit. Adjustments concerning GST compensation loans were diminished without proper justification,” he remarked.

He pointed out that with the fiscal deficit exceeding Rs. 81,000 crore, presenting a significantly lower borrowing figure distorts the actual financial status of the State.

“Such omissions create a misleading notion that the government’s debt burden is less than it truly is,” he added.

Botcha also remarked that the government’s assertion of no off-budget borrowings for 2025-26 is erroneous.

“Government-backed entities like MARKFED and the Civil Supplies Corporation have been permitted to secure loans with state guarantees. These organizations rely entirely on government support, and these borrowings clearly fall under off-budget liabilities according to Government of India guidelines,” he stated.

He also emphasized the inconsistency in the Finance Department’s methodology. “When details were requested for borrowings from 2014 to 2024, both Public Debt and Public Account were included. However, for 2024-25 and 2025-26, the Public Account was excluded. This shift in methodology raises significant concerns,” he said.

Botcha asserted that delivering incorrect or incomplete information to the Legislature undermines accountability. “Officials must present facts transparently. Any deviation from this principle erodes the credibility of the Finance Department and diminishes public trust,” he remarked.

He called on the Governor to intervene and ensure corrective measures are taken. “The response should be revoked and replaced with accurate figures aligned with CAG audited accounts. Accountability for the discrepancies must also be established,” he emphasized.

“The Legislature embodies the will of the people, and any misleading information presented to it amounts to deceiving the public. It is crucial to maintain transparency and integrity in public finance matters,” Botcha concluded.