With elections in mind, Devendra Fadnavis presents an all-appeasing Maharashtra Budget

Faced with allegations that insurance companies are being benefitted, the Budget announced that the state will pay the premium of farmers in the Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme.

The Budget, with a revenue deficit of Rs 16,122 crore, made an unmissable reference to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who had begun presenting the Union Budget last month by terming it as the “first budget of Amrit Kaal”.

Fadnavis called it as the first Budget of the state in Amrit Kaal, based on five major goals or ‘Panchamrut’ – sustainable farming-prosperous farmers; inclusive development of all sections of society, including women, tribals, backward classes and OBCs; development of infrastructure with substantial capital investment; employment generation for competent, skilled and employable youth as well as environment-friendly development.

As the Budget tried to appease all sectors, especilly smaller backward castes, it made no qualms about announcing “freebies”.

The non-dvenopment expediture increased from Rs 1.41 lakh crore (2022-23 revised estimates) to Rs 1.64 lakh crore (2023-24 budget estimates). However, the development expediture has been reduced marginally from Rs 3,08,950 crore (FY’23 revised estimates) to Rs 3,00,778 (FY’24 budget estimates).

While Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the Budget will clear the “megablock of development”, the Opposition termed it as one prepared with an eye on elections.

“It lacks foresightedness. It is full of claims but lacks substance. At a time when barely 33 per cent funds for district plan allocated in 2022-23 have been spent, how can this government claim of working for development?” Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, NCP’s Ajit Pawar, asked.

While the budget estimate of GSDP (at current prices) is Rs 38,79,792 crore, the debt stock is estimated to be Rs 7,07,472 for 2023-24 – 18.23 per cent of the GSDP. As per the revised estimate for 2022-23, the debt stock percentage to GSDP is 18.13 per cent.

The Budget announced a new scheme called ‘Lek Ladki’ for the empowerment of girls. For yellow and orange ration card holder families, while a subsidy of Rs 5,000 will be given after the birth of a girl child, the child will receive Rs 4,000 when she is in Class I, Rs 6,000 in Class VI and Rs 8,000 in Class XI. After she turns 18, Rs 75,000 in cash will be given to the girl.

Moreover, women will be given 50 per cent discount on ticket fare in state transport corporation buses.

Fulfilling the demands of smaller communities, the Budget announced setting up of development corporations for Lingayat, Gurav, Ramoshi and Vadar communities under Maharashtra State Other Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation with an authorised share capital of Rs 50 crore each.

Under the Ramai Awas Yojana, 1.5 lakh houses will be constructed with an outlay of Rs 1800 crore, of which 25,000 houses will be for the Matang community. In the Yashwantrao Chavan Mukt Vasahat Yojana, 25,000 houses will be built for the Vimukt Jathi and nomadic tribes and 25,000 houses for the beneficiaries of the Dhangar community. As many as Rs 600 crore will be made available for this.

The Budget announced a new housing scheme, Modi Awas Gharkul Yojana, for the construction of 10 lakh houses for other backward class beneficiaries in the next three years.

It also said that while honorarium of anganwadi workers will be increased from Rs 8,325 to Rs 10,000, for mini anganwadi workers, it will go up from Rs 5,975 to Rs 7,200 and for anganwadi helpers, the hike will be from Rs 4,425 to Rs 5,500. Around 20,000 vacant posts of anganwadi, mini anganwadi sevikas and helpers will be filled, as per the Budget.

Further, the amount of scholarship for students will be increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 for classes V to VII and from Rs 1,500 to 7,500 per student per year for classes VIII to X. Uniforms will be distributed till Class VIII to students studying in government schools.

The Budget increased the treatment limit under Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Janarogya Yojana from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per annum. As many as 200 new hospitals will be included in this scheme.

Also, the Aapla Dawakhana initiative in the name of Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray in Mumbai will now be launched across the state with 700 clinics.