Ladli Bahin Yojna a long-term scheme for women empowerment, not just poll driven: Ajit Pawar

Pawar chided the Opposition which made a promise during the Lok Sabha elections to pay Rs 8,500 per month to every women, which would have exceeded even Maharashtra’s Budget.

“Maharashtra, with its huge potential and progressive outlook, is poised to achieve its ambitious goal of becoming a one trillion dollar economy by 2028. It is our concerted endeavor to take it to 3.5 trillion dollar ahead,” said Ajit Pawar on Friday.

“To realise this target, we have to ensure 17 to 18 per cent growth rate for which we will have to increase our capital expenditure and mobilise additional revenue through various schemes,” he explained.

Promising a holistic development, Pawar said, “Upliftment of socially deprived segments, women and farmers is our priority.” As a result the Budget 2024-25, he explained, “is a big leap forward to realise our development goals in a time-bound period.”

The finance minister was replying to the debate on the 2024-25 Budget in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Friday, where 70 MLAs cutting across party lines participated in the discussion that stretched over three days.

Refuting the Opposition charge of Budget being populist with an eye on Assembly polls, Pawar said, “Elections come and go every five years. But what matters to us is Maharashtra’s welfare.”

“The CM Ladki Bahin scheme, where women aged 21 to 65 years are entitled to a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500, is not a temporary scheme. It will be lasting with a shared purpose to financially empower women. The expansion of pink e-rickshaw is another move to provide assured employment and security to women district wise through dedicated funds,” said Pawar adding that three per cent funds reserved under the Women and Child Welfare department with 500 pink e-rickshaw per district would be allowed.

Emphasizing on the district plan, Ajit Pawar said, “We have enhanced district plan allocation by 20 per cent. A corpus of Rs 18,165 crore have been set aside for the fiscal 2024-25.”

To tackle unemployment, various schemes have been undertaken by the skill development, industries and labour departments. In 2020-21, unemployment was pegged at 3.7 per cent, 3.5 per cent in 2021-22 and 3.1 per cent in 2022-23.

The annual GSDP at current prices for 2024-25 is estimated to grow by 5.53 per cent to Rs 42,67,771 crore as against Rs 40,44,251 crore in 2023-24. Whereas, revenue collection has been set at Rs 4.99 lakh crore for the 2024-2025, compared to Rs 4.49 lakh crore for the previous fiscal. Maharashtra’s share in the country’s revenue collection in 14 per cent.

Reflecting on the state’s financial status, the deputy CM said, “Enhanced allocation from the Centre through GST, VAT and other forms of tax component on an average helps to generate an additional Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 35,000 crore.”

In 2024-25 fiscal, the expected state revenue expenditure is Rs 5.19 lakh crore with 11.57 per cent increase. The major expenses component is towards repayment of loans, salaries and pension schemes. While loans component alone accounts for 11.3 per cent of the expenditure, salaries and pension schemes together make up for 58 per cent of expenditure. The revenue deficit this year is Rs 20,051 crore against last year’s Rs 16,122 crore.

While exuding confidence that the government is taking appropriate measures to minimize the revenue deficit, Pawar dismissed the Opposition’s attack on rising debt as unreasonable, given the size and potential of state budget and expenditure.

The debt stock percentage against GSDP has increased to 18.35 pc ( 2024-25) against 17.26 pc ( 2023-24). However, Pawar said Rs 7 lakh crore debt for Maharashtra is within its permissible ambit of 25 per cent of GSDP. “What often is overlooked is the huge borrowing is channelised for mega infrastructure and welfare projects,” said Pawar.

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