Maharashtra interim budget lacks planning, says Opp; CM says it is in line with PM’s concept of developed India

“Around 75 per cent of the previous budget announcements have been again read out this time. People of the state did not get a single drop of Panchamrita (last year’s budget) announced by the government. Only announcements have been made and the budget is not in the interest of farmers and workers,” Danve said.

Criticising the budget, state Congress president Nana Patole said, “The Mahayuti government has failed on all fronts and to cover up this failure and corruption, announcements have been made to please every section of the society, keeping the elections in sight. Due to inflation, unemployment and communal strife, people are deeply dissatisfied with this triple engine government. In the Lok Sabha elections, people are going to ‘reckon’ this grand alliance.”

Patole said that the government made big announcements about how much rupees have been allocated to which department, but looking at the experience so far, none of these will benefit the common people.

“Farmers are in great trouble today but the government is not helping them. Even the aid announced in the past has not yet been received. The youth of the state are on the streets, jobs are not being provided. Scams are happening in competitive exams but the government has not paid attention to the demands of the youth. The finance minister made some announcements about women empowerment but everyone knows how safe women are in the state. Thousands of women and girls are missing, crime against women is on the rise…,” Patole said.

The government tables the supplementary demands in every session but does not tell what happens to those demands in future.

“The government had earlier tabled the supplementary demands of Rs 75,000 crore, then additional demands of Rs 40,000 crore was tabled and now supplementary demands of Rs 8,000 crore have been tabled. When the financial situation of the state is so bad and the state might get on the verge of bankruptcy, how such supplementary demands are being tabled,” Patole asked.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, however, lauded the budget terming it to be in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concept of a developed India. “All the weaker sections — farmers, women and youth — have been considered in the budget. This is the budget that will help to fulfil the dream of the one-trillion-dollar economy of Maharashtra,” the CM said.

“It is the policy of the state government to provide maximum assistance to the farmers in the agricultural sector and concessions are also being given for drought… substantial provisions have been made for the water resources department, tourism, agriculture, infrastructure and public works department,” Shinde said.

The Chief Minister said that at least one lakh women in each district will benefit from various government schemes under the Chief Minister’s Women’s Empowerment Mission.

“The decision to start Urban Child Development Centres is also important to reduce malnutrition,” Shinde said, adding that the budget is “fair to all and inclusive”.

Patole, however, slammed the government stating that it has no financial discipline and the state is under the debt. “The Chief Minister’s claim that the budget is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concept of a developed India is hollow. Because Modi’s guarantee is fraudulent, who will believe the guarantee of this grand coalition government following in Modi’s footsteps?”