Maharashtra: Sops-heavy budget with eye on polls

In election mode, the Mahayuti government came out with a supplementary budget with sops and welfare schemes for various sections of society, which could impact the electoral outcome, on Friday. Finance minister Ajit Pawar, who represented the joint approach of the three-party government, announced an electricity bill waiver for farmers, the Madhya Pradesh-like Ladki Bahin (beloved sister) scheme for women and a training programme for 10 lakh youth, under which they will get a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000, among many other benefit schemes.

The budget showed a revenue deficit of Rs 20,051 crore and fiscal deficit of Rs 1,10,355 crore. It projected revenue receipts of Rs 4,99,463 crore and revenue expenditure of Rs 5,19,514 crore.

Mumbai fuel prices cut

The value-added tax on diesel and petrol in the Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai municipal limits was reduced to bring prices on a par with the rest of Maharashtra. The price of petrol per litre in the areas of these municipal corporations will be cheaper by approximately 65 paise and that of diesel by approximately Rs 2.07 per litre, said Pawar.

"It is essential to bring uniformity in the value-added tax on diesel and petrol to provide relief to the common citizens as well as the industry and trade sectors. Hence it is proposed to reduce the current tax on diesel from 24 per cent to 21 per cent in the areas of municipal corporations of Brihanmumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. Also, the current tax rate on petrol is 26 per cent plus Rs 5 and twelve paise per litre, which is now proposed to be reduced to 25 per cent plus R5 and twelve paise per litre," he added.

For women

The CM's Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana will give eligible women between 21 and 60 years of age Rs 1,500 per month. The annual outlay is Rs 46,000 crore every year. The amount may increase later. Shubh Mangal Samuhik Nondanikrut Vivah (mass marriage) scheme's subsidy has been increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 per bride. For breast and cervical cancer screenings, Rs 78 crore for equipment and materials will be given to all health sub-centres. Children and pregnant women will not be charged for using state-run ambulances.

Eligible households will be provided with direct financial help to buy three free-of-cost LPG cylinders every year under the CM's Annapurna Yojana. The purpose is to save the women of 52,16,412 families the trouble of using conventional fuel for cooking. About 10,000 jobs will be created for women under the Aai Yojana. Women entrepreneurs in the tourism sector will avail of interest reimbursement on loans up to Rs 15 lakh.

The government has mooted a scheme to offer 100 per cent reimbursement of education fees and examination fees to other backward classes and economically weaker section girls. The cap for family income is Rs 8 lakh. This decision will benefit around 2,05,499 girls and need Rs 2,000 crore every year.

For farmers

The CM's Baliraja Vij Savlat Yojana will provide free electricity to agriculture pumps up to 7.5 horsepower capacity. The government will spend Rs 14,761 crore on the subsidy, which will benefit 44.06 lakh farmers.

Farmers have been given compensation when their crop gets damaged due to natural calamities. The limit for assistance has been increased to three hectares instead of two. The aid will be given at a higher rate than the State Disaster Response Fund criteria.

"In the ongoing farm loan waiver scheme, 14.33 lakh farmers who regularly repaid their crop loans have been paid Rs 5,190 crore as an incentive and the rest of the amount will be distributed expeditiously," said Pawar, adding that every village will have a warehouse of its own in the future. The DCM also announced R5,000-per-hectare assistance to cotton and soybean farmers and a subsidy for onion producers. Milk producers will continue to get a grant of Rs 5 per litre. Compensation for those killed by wild animals has been increased from R20 lakh to R25 lakh. Crop damage compensation has been increased from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000.

Irrigation projects in Vidarbha and western Maharashtra have been expedited. Ex-CM Devendra Fadnavis's flagship water conservation programme Jalayukt Shivar has been given Rs 650 crore.

For youth

The CM's Yuva Karyaprashikshan Yojana will train 10 lakh youths yearly and give them a stipend of up to Rs 10,000 per month. The government will provide Rs 10,000 crore every year for this. Various schemes for skill development will be taken up in association with the World Bank.

Centres of Excellence will be created in technical education institutions in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Amravati, Yavatmal, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Karad and Avasari Khurd in Pune.

Minority community students will get scholarships for foreign education from 2024-25. Accommodation allowance to students for higher education has been increased from Rs 38,000 to Rs 60,000.

For weaker sections

Monthly aid under the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Anudan Yojana and Shravanbal Seva Rajya Nivruttivetan Yojana has been increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1500. Adequate provision of funds will be made for newly created as well as existing corporations for Divyang persons who have been given electric vehicles.

Pawar announced that the ‘third gender' option had been made available in the recruitment process by the government and public authorities. "This will make it easier for the third-gender community to take advantage of schemes," he said.

For infrastructure

On the infrastructure front, another 37 km of Metro rail length will be operational this financial year.

The Sewri-Worli link road project will be completed by the end of December 2025 while the 13.45-km Thane Coastal Road from Balkum to Gaimukh, whose cost is Rs 3,364 crore, is expected to be completed by May 2028.

For heritage and tourism

World Heritage Site status has been sought from UNESCO for 12 forts dating to the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Proposals will also be sent for Katal Shilpe in Konkan, Pandharpur Wari, Dahihandi Utsav and Ganeshotsav.

The government has decided to hold an annual Shivrajyabhishek (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's coronation) ceremony at Raigad fort.

The seasonal religious flavour was boosted with financial assistance of Rs 20,000 for the main dindi (procession) that warkaris take to Pandharpur. The annual celebration of the deity of masses, Vithoba (Vitthal) has been sent to UNESCO for world heritage nomination, said Pawar. A separate corpus of Rs 37 crore was earmarked for the management of the wari that began this week from various places.

A submarine project of international stature will be set up in Vengurla in Sindhudurg at an estimated cost of Rs 66 crore. The Western Ghat area of Satara district will be made tourist-worthy with an integrated tourism development plan worth Rs 381.56 crore. Malshej Ghat will have a modern viewing gallery.

A plan will be prepared to develop temple premises at Nevasa where Saint Dnyaneshwar Maharaj had recited the immortal Dnyaneshwari. A state-of-the-art international convention centre will be set up near the Rajaram lake in Kolhapur city.

One ex-CM calls budget all-inclusive, another says it's a carrot

Eknath Shinde, chief minister
People [Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray] who say we have offered gaajar (carrot), should understand that this budget is the gajar (declaration) of Maharashtra's development plan.

Uddhav Thackeray, former chief minister
They have offered a gaajar. Where is the money to implement such announcements? Voters shocked them in the recent elections because they were fed up with the false promises made over the past 10 years.

Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief minister
It's not about elections, as Thackeray has claimed; it's about our resolve to be progressive and all-inclusive. We have taken historic decisions, which will be implemented. The Opposition's reaction is stereotypical.

Jayant Patil, ex-finance minister
It's an attempt to do charity ahead of the (Assembly) elections. It is only for two months. It will stop once the code of conduct comes into force.

Nana Patole, state Congress chief
It's a misleading budget that is full of bogus and hollow announcements. The government has failed the farmers, who wanted a Telangana-like loan waiver.