The Maharashtra State budget 2017-18 will be presented in the Assembly today. The Economic Survey Report (2016-17) was presented to the state legislature on Friday and has pointed to accelerated growth in the country's most industrialised state despite the demonetisation move. The projection of a double-digit positive growth for the farm sector, which provides livelihood to over 58 per cent of the state’s population, is good news for the BJP-led government. Maharashtra’s rural economy, which has been on a downward spiral since 2014-15, rebounded on the back of a good monsoon spell in 2016-17 with a 12.5 per cent positive growth. On Friday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis led a delegation of Sena and BJP leaders to meet finance minister Arun Jaitley to ask the Centre for an institutional credit mechanism to help 31 lakh farmers who cannot avail crop loans due to pending debts. Here are the Highlights from Maharashtra Budget 06.00 pm: To promote cashless transactions VAT on card swipe machines has been reduced to 0% from existing 13.5% by the government. 05. 25 pm: Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana to be implemented by expanding the Rajeev Gandhi Jeevandayi Arogya Yojana and amount of Rs 1316 crore will be provided for the project. 05. 15 pm: The government is looking forward towards the completion of Sewri-Nhava-sheva sea link, Navi Mumbai Airport, Navi Mumbai metro in the MMRDA region. 05. 05 pm: Green buildings to be constructed in the State for saving electricity and water. Provision of Rs 361 crores for incentive grant received from the Central Government for the non- conventional energy. MahaGenco to establish 750 MW solar energy projects in the first phase, Rs 525 crores to be provided for the project. 05. 00 pm: An amount of Rs 1,549 crore to be provided for ensuring quality health services to the rural population, while Rs 77.50 crore will be provided for facility of CT- Scan machines in 31 hospitals for accurate diagnosis of common patients. Rs 559.30 crore to be allotted for construction and strengthening of government medical colleges and hospitals. Rs 211 crore for providing best health services to the cities having pop up to 50k under the National Urban Health Mission. 04. 50 pm: Rs 126 crore to be provided to upgrade the Cancer Hospital at Aurangabad as State level Cancer Research Institute and Cancer treatment centres at revenue divisional headquarters will be established, so that cancer patients in the State can avail the treatment at a shorter distance. An amount of Rs 43 crore will be provided for facility of mammography machines, colposcope and velscope machines at 253 govt health institutes for diagnosis of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and oral cancer. 04. 48 pm: An amount of Rs. 200 crore has been allotted to Annasaheb Patil Economically Backward Classes Development Corporation for development of the economically backward classes. 04. 45 pm: An assistance of Rs 100 crore to be provided from the Central Govt for reducing pollution of Mula and Mutha rivers. 04. 42 pm: A sum of Rs 80 crore has been proposed to encourage eco- tourism in Navegaon- Nagzira, Pench Tiger Reserve, Umred Karhandla sanctuary areas. 04. 40 pm: Rs 25 crore margin money for Stand-Up Scheme has been declared by the government to encourage entrepreneurship amongst youths of SC and New Buddhists communities. 04. 38 pm: Rs 1884.99 crore has been allotted for Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana and Shravan Bal Seva Nivritti Vetan (Shravan Bal Service Pension) scheme. 04. 35 pm: Rs 6754 crore is proposed for the Tribal Sub Plan which is in accordance with the tribal population. 04. 32 pm: Rs 7231 crore is allotted for Scheduled Caste Sub Plan in proportion with the scheduled caste population. 04. 30 pm: A provision of Rs 100 crores has been allotted for MIHAN Project at Nagpur. Along with the development of airports at Karad, Amrawati, Solapur and Chandrapur, necessary funds will be provided for upgrading the Nagpur Airport to International level. 04. 25 pm: Liquor prices hiked in Maharashtra after Value-Added Tax (VAT) on MRP of country and Foreign liquor was raised from 23.08% to 25.93% 04. 20 pm: Roads of length 2,211 kms to be improved with the completion of 252 major bridges under the Central Road Fund. An amount of Rs 50 crore will be made available for the establishment of Maharashtra Railways Infrastructure Development Company. A provision of Rs 1,630 crores for Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak Yojana, roads of 4700 kms are also under progress. 04.00 pm: A resolution of constructing 2.5 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana has been taken by the government. 03. 58 pm: For the effective implementation of Swachch Maharashtra Abhiyan, an amount Rs 1,605 crore has been provided. 03. 56 pm: An amount of Rs 1,600 crores has been provided for the development of cities selected under Smart City Mission. Also, a consolidated provision of Rs 710 crore for metro projects in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur has been made. 03.54 pm: As claimed by Minister of Finance & Planning Sudhir Mungantiwar, 28000 gram panchayats in Maharashtra will become digital by 2018. 03. 50 pm: State to set up Maharashtra school of Drama at Mumbai Film City by 2018. 03. 42 pm: The government allocates an amount of Rs 1,000 crores for the provision of subsidy of power tariffs to encourage industrial units in Vidarbha and Marathwada region of the state. 03. 40 pm: A provision of Rs 17 crore 32 lakhs towards preserving Marathi language has been introduced, while an amount of Rs 200 crores is allotted for the provision of establishing a military school at Chandrapur. 03. 35 pm: Rs 40 crores to be provided for centrally sponsored under the Rashtriya Uchchstar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme. It is a scheme that was launched in 2013 aiming towards providing strategic funding to eligible state higher educational institutions. 03. 30 pm: The Economics Department of Mumbai University to be reorganized and renamed as Mumbai Economics and Public Policy Institute. 3.08 pm: Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyaan gets Rs 1, 200 crore. Launched by Devendra Fadnavis, the project has made 4, 374 villages water neutral so far, as per government projections. The scheme also involves deepening and widening of streams, construction of cement and earthen stop dams, work on nullahs and digging of farm ponds. Rs 225 crore has also been allotted for farm ponds and wells MGNREGA. 3.00 pm: While Pune airport finds no mention in the budget, Metro gets funds. The government has allocated Rs 700 crores for Pune and Mumbai Metro. 2.55 pm: Along the lines of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Krishi Swalamban Yojna, a new scheme is announced where Rs 92 crore have been allotted to Scheduled Tribe farmers. 2.50 pm: A training program will also be launched providing employment opportunities for 10,000 construction workers. Apart from this, a provision of Rs 99 crore is made under Pramod Mahajan Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission. 1,970 training organizations have been listed and it will have 57% participation of women. 2.45 pm: In order to ensure fair price for agricultural produce, government provides Rs 50 crore for expansion of Sant Shiromani Savatamali weekly market scheme for doubling the income of farmers. 2.40 pm: Rs 979.10 crore is allotted for provision of agricultural pump connections and infrastructure facilities of power sector at Nagpur, Bhandara, Gadchiroli and Wardha districts. 2.37 pm: Government goes all out with agricultural schemes. Kesarkar also announces an agricultural university in Peth village of Sangli district. 2.35 pm: Government allocates special schemes for the drought-hit Marathwada region. Announces speical provision of Rs 250 crore for the first phase of Krishna Marathwada Water District project which is scheduled to be completed in next four years. 2:30 pm: With the goal of ensuring double productivity of farmers by 2021, the government announces that they would be looking into investments in the agriculture sector this year. 2.26 pm: Government allocates Rs. 8, 233 crore for irrigation projects in the state. Under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Scheme, Rs 2,812 crore has been allotted for 26 projects. 2.13 pm: Maharashtra's MoS Finance Deepak Kesarkar starts presenting the budget amid uproar in the Assembly. Opposition members continue to raise slogans on farmer loan waiver issue. 1.oo pm: Accusing opposition of politicising the issue, Fadnavis says they are positive about working out a solution for farmer loan waivers. The chief minister also said that apart from waiver packages for loan burdened farmers, there should also be perks for those who repay loans regularly. 12.42 pm: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said the budget this time will be farmer-centric. This comes in wake of several cases of farmer suicide across the state. The Opposition had earlier said that their main agenda for this session would be to get loan waivers for farmers. “Our main agenda is to get a loan waiver for farmers of Maharashtra. The BJP leaders promised loan waivers for other poll-bound states, but Maharashtra which has witnessed maximum farmers suicide was ignored," said Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil. 10:20 am: The budget presentation by the finance minister is scheduled to begin at 2 pm. So, please hang on in there. We will update when we hear more. 10 am: So what does the Economic Survey report say? Read here 9:55 am: The Times of India is reporting that the finance minister has indicated there won't be any new tax burden on the common man. 9:45 am: 9.4% growth clocked by the state in current fiscal, ESR report shows.
