Maharashtra assembly session to begin on March 3, budget on March 10

This will be the first budget of the Mahayuti government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis which was voted to power with a landslide mandate in the Assembly polls in November. The budget will be presented by deputy CM and finance minister Ajit Pawar.

This budget session is crucial for the Mahayuti government which is firefighting to instill fiscal discipline after populist schemes and promises given to people during polls. The session will also outline holistic development works to keep pace with the growth in the state.

Fadnavis, during the meeting, made special mention of housing projects undertaken by the government under PMAY. He said, “Under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership, we will provide homes to 15.1 lakh families. We have made investments of Rs 70,000 crore. In addition, solar energy investments make up for around Rs one lakh crore in investments.”

With 237 MLAs on its side, the budget session is likely to be smooth sailing for the Mahayuti. However, controversies related to two NCP ministers Dhananjay Munde and Manikrao Kokate are being seen as major roadblocks which the opposition intends to raise during the upcoming sessions.

The opposition has already raised the resignation of Munde over Massajog sarpanch, Santosh Deshmukh’s murder, in which Munde’s close associate Walmik Karad was booked.

To add to the pressure, state Agriculture minister and NCP leader Manikrao Kokate has been sentenced to two years imprisonment in an alleged housing scam.

Former Congress president Nana Patole had said, ” Both Munde and Kokate should resign on moral grounds.”