Yanamala Rama Krishnudu, who declared assets worth over Rs 9 crore in his last election affidavit, was reimbursed Rs 2,88,823 from NTR Vaidya Seva Trust.

Faced with mounting criticism and backlash, finance minister of cash-strapped Andhra Pradesh, Yanamala Rama Krishnudu has now decided to return the amount that he took from the government coffers to pay his personal medical bills for a treatment taken in Singapore.

Krishnudu has returned the Rs 2.88 lakh to the government. He had taken this to pay bills of a root canal treatment.

The senior Telegu Desam Party (TDP) leader has declared assets worth more than Rs 9 crore. Yet he tried to get bills worth Rs 2.88 lakh reimbursed by the government under an insurance scheme meant for the poor.

His bills were reimbursed under the Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Health Insurance Scheme-an initiative started by the Andhra Pradesh government to provide quality healthcare service to the poor, including free hospital facilities.

The dental treatment for which the bills were submitted was taken in Singapore in April this year.

Following criticism, the TDP has issued a clarification saying that Krishnudu had undergone a dental treatment in Hyderabad before his official trip to Singapore.

The party argued that since he suffered an "unbearable toothache" during an official visit, he was forced to undergo treatment in Singapore.

Ironically, projecting a sorry state of state finances during his Budget speech, Krishnudu had said that Andhra Pradesh's fiscal deficit is expected to touch Rs 24,205 crore.

Read | 3000 km and counting: YS Jagan Reddy on walkathon to seize power in Andhra Pradesh

Watch | Andhra government pays Rs 2.82 lakh for Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu's root canal treatment