News Brief
Maharashtra: Big Infrastructure Push And Major Cash Transfer Schemes For Farmers, Women In Shinde Government's Maiden Budget
- In its latest budget, Maharashtra government announces an additional cash transfer of Rs. 6000 to the farmers over and above Rs. 6000 that the Union government gives under the PM-Kisan scheme.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis. (Twitter)
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the finance portfolio, today (March 9) presented the state Budget for the year 2023-24.
The budget was presented a day after the state's annual Economic Survey was tabled by Fadnavis on the assembly floor yesterday (March 8).
As per the budget estimates for 2023-24, the state's total expenditure has been projected at Rs. 5,47,450 crores. Revenue receipts are estimated at Rs. 4,49,522 crores, while revenue expenditure is at Rs. 4,65,645 crores, translating to a revenue deficit of Rs. 16,122 crores.
Fadnavis presented a revised expenditure estimate for fiscal 2022-23 of Rs. 5,28,285 crores versus the budgetary estimate of Rs. 4,95,404 crores.
"There has been an increase in total expenditure as per the revised estimates due to the financial relief given to the people in natural calamities," Fadnavis said.
Fadnavis said the Sena-BJP government has successfully kept the fiscal deficit below three per cent of the gross state domestic product. He said the fiscal deficit for the year 2023- 24 is estimated at Rs. 95,500.8 crores.
Commencing his speech by paying copious tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, marking the completion of 350 years of the coronation of the Maratha king, Fadnavis promised that the Sena-BJP government would make all efforts to create ''Surajya''.
Fadnavis said the state budget is based on five primary goals, which he termed ''Panchamrut''.
Sustainable Farming and Prosperous Farmers.
Inclusive development of all sections of society.
Development of infrastructure with substantial capital investment.
Competent, skilled, employable youth.
Environment-friendly development
Major announcements related to Agriculture
Fadnavis announced an annual cash transfer of Rs. 6000 to the farmers by the state government in addition to the Rs. 6000 that the Union government gives under the PM-Kisan scheme. The additional cash transfer will benefit 1.15 crores farmer families who will receive an amount of Rs. 12,000 every year in their account. An outlay of Rs. 6900 crores will be provided in 2023-24 for this scheme.
The state government will now bear a two per cent insurance premium that is required to be paid by the farmer as part of the Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme introduced by PM Modi-led Union government in 2016. Farmers can register on the Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Yojana portal by paying a nominal fee of Rs.1/-. The state government will make an annual outlay of Rs. 3312 crores for this scheme, Fadnavis said
An area of 25 lakh hectares in the state will be brought under organic farming in the next three years to promote natural farming. The scope of Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Organic Farming Mission will be expanded by establishing one thousand bio-input source centres. An outlay of Rs. 1000 crores will be available in three years.
Cash of Rs 18,000 will be deposited now in the Aadhaar- linked bank account of orange ration card holder farmers in 14 disaster-affected districts of Vidarbha and Marathwada, in lieu of food grains, Fadnavis announced
Major announcements related to Women And Child Welfare
Launching a new scheme called Lek Ladki for the empowerment of girls hailing from families holding yellow and orange ration cards, Fadnavis said that a subsidy of Rs. 5,000 would be given after the birth of a girl child, Rs. 4,000 in class I, Rs. 6,000 in class VI and Rs. 8,000 in class XI. After completing 18 years of age, he added a cash amount of Rs. 75,000 will be given to the beneficiary girl.
Fadnavis also presented the following proposals in the budget.
A woman buyer has been given a one per cent concession in stamp duty for purchasing a residential unit.
Thirty-seven lakh rural women have been provided with means of livelihood through self-help groups. ''Bamboo Cluster'' in Latur District and ''Kolhapuri Chappal Cluster'' in Kolhapur District will be developed through Self Help Groups.
The honorarium of Anganwadi workers will be increased from Rs 8,325 to Rs 10,000; the honorarium of mini anganwadi workers will be increased from Rs 5,975 to Rs 7,200, and the honorarium of Anganwadi helpers will be increased from Rs 4,425 to Rs 5,500.
Major announcement related to Housing
Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 4 lakh houses will be constructed this year. Of this, 60 per cent, 2.5 lakh houses will be for Scheduled Castes- Scheduled Tribes beneficiaries, while 1.5 lakh households will be for other categories.
A new housing scheme, ''Modi Awas Gharkul Yojana'', will be launched to construct 10 lakhs houses for other backwards-class beneficiaries in the next three years. An outlay of Rs. 12,000 crores will be made available in the next three years. Of these, 3 lakh houses will be completed in 2023-24 at Rs. 3,600 crores.
Infrastructure
Consistent with the Sena-BJP government's focus on infrastructure development, Fadnavis allocated Rs 53,058.55 crores as capital expenditure for projects.
710 km Mumbai - Nagpur Expressway (Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samriddhi Mahamarg) to be extended from Sindkhedaraja node to Shegaon (Four-lane).
760 km greenfield expressway from Nagpur-Goa Expressway (Maharashtra Shaktipeeth Highway) to be developed at a cost of Rs. 86,300 crores.. The expressway will be from Pawanar in Wardha District to Patradevi in Sindhudurg District. A technical and financial feasibility report is currently being prepared.
In order to reduce the traffic congestion in Pune city, the work on Pune Ring Road is going on at the cost of around Rs. 27,000 crores. In the year 2022-23, Rs. 1,000 crores were provided. Additional funds will be made available for the land acquisition this year.
A revised cost of Rs. 6,695 crores for the construction of the missing link between Khopoli to Khandala on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway,
The 126 km multi-modal corridor from Virar to Alibaug route connecting several national highways, Navi Mumbai International Airport, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Mumbai Trans-harbour Project, Delhi-Mumbai dedicated freight corridor and Revas Port.
The work of the coast highway from Revas in Raigad district to Reddy in Sindhudurg district is underway, and the project's total cost is Rs. 9,573 crores.
Public Works Department will take up around 18,000 km of road improvement projects through loans from Asian Development Bank, Hybrid Annuity Model and other regular schemes.
Thane City Circular Metro Rail Project, Nashik Metro Neo Project, Pimpri-Chinchwad to Nigdi Corridor of Pune Metro, and Swargate to Katraj Metro Projects sent for approval of the Central Government.
50 per cent state share to be provided for new railways lines including Kalyan-Murbad, Nashik-Pune semi-high speed, SolapurTuljapur-Dharashiv, Nanded-Bidar, Phaltan-Pandharpur, Khamgaon-Jalna and Varora-Chimur-Kampa.
A new passenger terminal will be constructed at Shirdi airport at the cost of Rs. 527 crores. A Rs. 734 crores fund will be provided for the land acquisition of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Airport. Planning for the expansion of Nagpur International Airport and a new international airport at Purandar is in progress. A fund of Rs. 100 crores will be provided for the MIHAN project in Nagpur. Development works of airports at Belora in Amravati and Shivni in Akola are being undertaken.
Health
The treatment limit under Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Janarogya Yojana will be increased from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per annum. As many as 200 new hospitals will be included in this scheme, and the limit of kidney transplant surgery will be increased from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh. The ''Aapla Dawakhana'' initiative, in the name of Hindu Hridayasamrat Balasaheb Thackeray, in Mumbai, will now be launched in the state with 700 clinics.
