The Maharashtra government presented the 11th state budget in the legislative Assembly. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Who holds the finance portfolio, allotted Rs 36,000 crore for the Ladki Bahin scheme. The Devendra Fadnavis government has not announced any increase in the allowance.
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde claimed that the scheme helped the Mahayuti to form the government in the state.
The state government has enhanced the 1% tax on CNG and PNG vehicles in the budget while proposing a tax of 6 percent on electric vehicles, which is expected to provide Rs 1125 crore to the exchequer.
Pawar tabled the budget while keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve to make India a developed nation by 2047.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rejected reports that the state government has reduced the allocation of money for the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme and assured that the beneficiaries will get their money.
“We have not decreased the money for the ‘Ladki Bahin’. Everyone will get their money. We have kept the money for the scheme as per trends of need. If more finance is needed for the scheme, we can make another provision for it. We will fulfil our promise of providing Rs 2100 per month to our sisters,” CM Fadnavis said.
Key Features of the Budget-
The fiscal deficit is maintained below 3 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), and revenue deficit has remained below 1 per cent of the GSDP.
Efforts to increase development rate through capital expenditure aimed at stimulating the development cycle. The target is to increase Mumbai Metropolitan Region’s economy to $300 billion by 2030 and $1.5 trillion by 2047.
A new industrial policy will be formulated to attract investments through “Make in Maharashtra,” targeting Rs 40 lakh crore investment and creating 50 lakh jobs in the next 5 years.
The agriculture sector’s growth rate has improved to 8.7 per cent in 2024-25, and further steps will be taken to boost farmers’ income, increase agricultural production, and provide infrastructure like solar energy for irrigation and electricity.
