Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis ahead of the Maharashtra Budget presentation at Vidhan Bhavan. (Express photo by Deepak Joshi)Maharashtra Budget 2023-24 News Highlights: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis presented the state budget based on the principle of ‘Panchamrut’, with a focus on farmers, women, youth, employment and environment. Among the provisions are 10 lakh affordable houses to be built in next three years and 50 kilometres of Metro lines to be made operational in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region this year.
On Wednesday, Fadnavis tabled the Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2022-23 in the state Legislative Assembly. According to the survey, the state’s economy in 2022-23 is expected to grow at 6.8 per cent as against 7 per cent of the Indian economy. By comparison, the state economy expanded by 9.1 per cent in 2021-22.
On the eve of the Budget presentation, Shinde said that it will “fulfill needs, aspirations of women and middle class”. “We’ll be fulfilling our promises tomorrow. Everyone is anticipating what the Budget will hold for them,” Shinde was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for 2022-23 is expected to be Rs 35,27,084 crore. (PTI/File Photo)
A Maharashtra minister belonging to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena taunted the Nationalist Congress Party for extending support to the newly-formed government in Nagaland, and wondered whether any monetary transaction was involved in the move.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, state Water Supply Minister Gulabrao Patil said the NCP has been criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by labelling it as a communal party, while in Nagaland it has extended support to the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP)-BJP alliance government. "Has there been any monetary understanding?" he asked.
Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar said the Budget values the "every drop of sweat shed by the poor, the labourers and the workers".
"It is a budget that truly values the Gods worshipped and the bread earned by this working class and I sincerely appreciate the efforts of chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for the same. This budget is empathetic – for every citizen of this state. This budget is truly the one that will march on the path carved out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi – Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Prayas and will take Maharashtra ahead on the path of development," Shelar said.
He further added, "Since the last two-and-a-half years, the state had been looming under darkness, cribbing, complaints and depression. But from now on, there will be no crying and cribbing but with a new resolute of optimism, Maharashtra will march ahead. This budget is just the beginning."
BJP senior minister for forest and culture Sudhir Mungantiwar said, "The budget is progressive and promises prosperity to people. It is well planned with a defined direction."
Cyrus Mody, Founder & Managing Partner at Viceroy Properties, welcomed the Budget provision of a one percent stamp duty waiver for women homebuyers.
"This will empower more women to become homebuyers and thus address a long-due concern of gender disparity. The allocation of 36,000 crore for state-wide infrastructural boost backed by a slew of new airports in Shirdi, Purandar and Chatrapati Sambhaji Nagar along waterways and roadways development will lead to a 10x growth in connectivity to and from the financial capital, thus resulting in multi-fold growth of housing demand in newer micro-pockets of Mumbai, MMR and overall Maharashtra," Mody said.
As part of the Budget 2023-24 Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis announced 'Shakti Sadan', a new scheme to provide shelter to women in distress, liberated from sexual exploitation or facing domestic violence, will be launched with the assistance of the central government by combining the Swadhar, Ujjwala schemes. The survivors will get shelter, legal aid, medical care and counselling, he said. Fifty new Shakti Sadans will be started under the scheme, he said.
Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis announced a waiver in professional tax for women with a monthly salary of up to Rs 25,000. Earlier, women with a salary of more than Rs 10,000 had to pay professional tax.
As much as 50 km of metro network will be added in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) in 2023-24, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said
Projects including the Mumbai Metro line 10 (Gaimukh to Shivaji Chowk, Mira road with a total length of 9.2 km and estimated cost of Rs 4,476 crore, Mumbai Metro Line 11 from Wadala to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSTM) with a total length of 12.77 km and estimated cost of Rs 8,739 crore, and Metro line 12 from Kalyan to Taloja with a length of 12.77 km and estimated cost of Rs 5,865 crore will be completed.
A museum dedicated to the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would be set up on Shivneri Fort. Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the finance portfolio, also announced allocation of Rs 300 crore for the conservation of forts built by the iconic 17th century ruler.
Presenting the Budget in the Assembly, Fadnavis said Rs 350 crore will be made available for the Shiv Rajyaabhishek Mahotsav to celebrate Shivaji Maharaj's 1674 coronation from June 2 to 9 this year. Rs 50 crore will be provided for setting up the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Theme Park at Ambegaon in Haweli taluka of Pune district.
Public parks with audio-visual media facilities will be developed in Mumbai, Amravati, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Nagpur where Shivaji Maharaj's lifestory will be exhibited and Rs 250 crore have been allocated for this purpose
On Wednesday afternoon, the bodies of a couple were found inside their bathroom in their residence in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar. While there is no clarity on the cause of their death so far, the fact that the couple used a gas geyser has prima facie indicated that it could be a reason.
Here’s a look at why the gas geyser is being considered a cause of death
The 2016 rape-murder of a 24-year-old physiotherapist in Mumbai initially saw the police scrambling for clues as the victim had been set on fire to destroy evidence. However, CCTV footage of a peeping Tom roaming around suspiciously in the area helped them crack the case.
Read the full story here
With an eye on the rising air pollution level in Mumbai, the BMC on Wednesday announced a set of measures, including setting up of continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) at five locations. Civic officials said these will become operational by May 15. Read more
Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia praised the Maharashtra Budget provision to cut VAT on air turbine fuel from 25 percent to 18 percent in Mumbai, Pune and Raigad.
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Ajit Pawar alleged that a scam of Rs 500 crore took place in the state Information and Publicity Department during the tenure of the government led by Devendra Fadnavis.
Government officials gave approval to publish media advertisements worth more than Rs 500 crore in 2019 without the sanction from the chief minister, Pawar claimed and demanded incumbent CM Eknath Shinde to punish the officials involved in the scam.
Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Maharashtra Assembly with the opposition demanding that the state government give immediate relief to farmers whose crops were destroyed in unseasonal rains accompanied by hailstorms earlier this week.
The opposition members were on their feet when Speaker Rahul Narvekar rejected an adjournment notice submitted by the Congress' Nana Patole (congress) on the issue. Narvekar said the issue will be taken up for debate on Friday and urged MLAs to allow Question Hour to continue.
But Patole was adamant and was supported by Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar, NCP MLA Chhagan Bhujbal and Congress' Balasaheb Thorat. Bhujbal said nothing can be more important than providing relief to farmers and sought immediate discussion on it.
Some opposition MLAs trooped into the Well of the House and shouted slogans against the government.LoP Pawar criticised the government for not comforting the distressed farmers Chief minister Eknath Shinde said his government will never leave farmers in the lurch.
Opposition members shouted slogans in the Well of the House even as the Speaker continued with Question Hour.
The Congress' Ravindra Dhangekar and Bharatiya Janata Party's Ashwini Jagtap, who won bypolls recently from Kasba Peth and Chinchwad, respectively, took oath as MLAs in the Assembly. They were administered the oath by Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar.
While Jagtap bowed before the opposition and treasury benches after taking oath, Dhangekar, whose win ended the BJP's 28-year-old stranglehold on Kasba Peth seat, was welcomed by the opposition legislators with thumping of benches.
Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Ajit Pawar said the budget 2023-24 lacks vision and direction.
"The budget was slogan-oriented, aimed at pleasing each and every community. But it is hollow. It does not mention industrial investments. What about exodus of industrial projects from Maharashtra to other states. The budget has completely overlooked the financial status of Maharashtra," Paward said.
The NCP leader also said that the Budget does not address the state's growing debt burden which has crossed Rs 6.5 lakh crore.
Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the finance portfolio, said that 98 percent of the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Yojna work has been completed and opened for public. The remaining two percent connectivity from Sindhkhedraja to Shegaon in Buldhana will be completed this year.
Meanwhile, the Nagpur-Goa Shakti Marg proposal is ready, he announced.
Addressing the issue of irrigation and water shortage, Devendra Fadnavis said that lesser rainfall is expected this year due to El Nino. In this regard, he announced the following provisions of the Budget:
Among the provisions of the Budget:
In the first CM eknath-Shinde-led government's Budget, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the following:
Leader of Oppost Ajit Pawar has claimed that tenders worth Rs 500 crore by the state's publicity department were granted before 2019 Assembly polls without seeking then CM Devendra Fadnavis' approval. Pawar said that a file has now been moved seeking clearance post completion of works. Pawar pointed out that former CM Uddhav Thackeray had ordered an inquiry in to the case and despite of that post-work clearance has been sought.
After a long wait, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) on Wednesday received one more electric double-decker bus.
The new bus has a seating capacity of 90 passengers and can cover 100 km with just a 45-minute charge. It has a 231-kilowatt-hour battery life of up to 250 km. Read more
Maharashtra reported 33,069 road accidents in 2022-23, resulting in 14,883 deaths and injuries to 27,218 people, according to statistics from the Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2022-23. Both the death and the injury counts have seen an increase from the corresponding figures of 29,477 and 23,071 respectively in 2021-22.
In Mumbai, however, accidents have seen a drop. Read more
The Congress' Ravindra Dhangekar and Bharatiya Janata Party's Ashwini Jagtap, who won bypolls recently from Kasba Peth and Chinchwad, respectively, on Thursday took oath as MLAs in the Assembly. They were administered the oath by Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar.
While Jagtap bowed before the opposition and treasury benches after taking oath, Dhangekar, whose win ended the BJP's 28-year-old stranglehold on Kasba Peth seat, was welcomed by the opposition legislators with thumping of benches. (PTI)
Nearly 650 residents from various parts of the city have written to BMC municipal commissioner and state appointed administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal to draw the attention of the administration to the plight of the residents due to state-appointedMumbai’s bad air quality. The letter was mailed to the authorities on Tuesday (March 7).
One of the residents from Breach Candy, Zia said, “I have my mother staying with me who is 94 years old and I am supposed to give her medicine through a nebuliser daily once in a day. But considering the poor air quality, the doctor has prescribed to give her the medicine twice daily and also because of the dust outside we are unable to open our windows and have five air-purifiers installed indoors." Read more
Despite a breach of privilege notice issued by the Maharashtra Assembly speaker, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said on Wednesday that he will not withdraw his “chor mandal (group of thieves)” remark, saying he has not done anything or said anything with an intention to insult the state legislature.
“I have made an appropriate remark…It was aimed at a particular group and not the entire state legislature as is being made out to be…Everyone knows which group I am referring to,” Raut told The Indian Express. Read more
A technical glitch was reported between Kasara and Umbermali early morning. Although the issue has been resolved but local trains towards CSMT are running late. Both up and down services were affected.
The Nationalist Congress Party has extended its support to the newly-formed Nagaland government led by Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader and Chief Minister N Rio. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already extended support to the NDPP.
The NCP had won seven seats in the recently-held Nagaland Assembly polls and after the formation of the NDPP and BJP government, it was expected that the NCP will be the main Opposition party in the state. However, on Wednesday the NCP extended support to the government, which means there will be no Opposition party in the Nagaland Assembly. Read more
The leaders of all three parties in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) – held a joint meeting on Wednesday, ahead of the state Budget presentation on Thursday, to discuss further course of action of the alliance.
During the meeting, it was decided to hold joint rallies of all the three parties in April and May this year. Read more
Maharashtra economy in 2022-23 is expected to grow at 6.8 per cent as against 7 per cent of the Indian economy, according to the Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2022-23, which was presented in the state Legislative Assembly by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday. By comparison, the state economy expanded by 9.1 per cent in 2021-22.
According to the survey, the agriculture and allied sector will be the prime driver of the growth in the state economy in 2022-23, with an estimated increase of 10.2 per cent. Read more
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Deputy Chief Minister and state Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis is all set to present Maharashtra’s Budget for 2023-24, marking the first Budget of the Eknath Shinde-led government.
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