Maharashtra Budget 2025 Highlights: Oppn MVA accuses Mahayuti govt of not fulfilling poll promises in Budget, calls it ‘bogus’

Maharashtra will introduce a scheme to complement the Centre’s “Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana” under which rooftop solar panels are provided to households consuming 0 to 300 units of electricity.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made the announcement Tuesday in the state Assembly during the Question Hour.

“The central government has introduced the ‘Pradhan Mantri Suryaghar Free Electricity Scheme’ for households consuming 0 to 300 units of electricity. The state government will introduce a separate scheme to support this scheme of the central government,” Fadnavis said. Sena MLA Murji Patel had raised a question regarding the increase in electricity tariffs. Read

The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) took suo motu cognisance of a series of reports published by The Indian Express on the incident in Malvan involving the arrest of parents of a 15-year-old who allegedly raised slogans during the India-Pakistan match and the eventual razing of the scrap shop belonging to his family, without issuing any notice.

It later came to light that the local administration demolished the residence of the boy’s paternal uncle as well.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the reports, the SHRC order says, “The reading of the news item prima facie reflects that the due process of law has not been followed for demolition of the structure.

The principles of rule of law, which is the very foundation of the democratic governance, is violated in the process.” Read

An MLA of the Nationalist Congress Party led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has created ripples by claiming that he spent Rs 10 to 12 crore during his election campaign.

Prakash Solanke, fourth term MLA from Majalgaon assembly constituency in Beed district, later retracted his remarks, made at a public event, saying he made those remarks in a lighter vein. “I wanted to say lakhs, but said crore,” he said.

Solanke made the election expenditure remarks at a public meeting at Vadvani in Beed district on Sunday. A video of his speech has gone viral on social media.

“Candidates get elected by spending lot of money. People said that in the last elections, one candidate spent Rs 45 crore. I heard that another (candidate) spent Rs 35 crore. However, I limited (my expenses) to just Rs 10-12 crore,” Solanke was heard saying in the viral video.

When asked about his remarks at the Vadvani event, Solanke on Tuesday told reporters that he made the claim in a lighter vein. “The party gave me Rs 40 lakh as election fund. I spent Rs 23 lakh and returned the rest,” he said. (PTI)

The Lilavati Hospital trust in Mumbai has got an FIR registered against 17 people, including its seven former trustees and equipment suppliers and vendors, for allegedly embezzling Rs 1250 crore in the past 20 years. Most of the accused are based in Dubai and Belgium.

Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, who is currently executive director at Lilavati Hospital, said in a press conference on Tuesday that the alleged illegal trustees of the trust indulged in gross wrongdoings while the previous trust was in control.

“The current board of trustees, after taking charge, roped in a forensic auditor, and financial irregularities worth nearly Rs 1,250 crore surfaced. After this Prashant Kishore Mehta, 55, a permanent trustee in Lilavati Hospital, approached the Bandra police, but as they refused to file an FIR, Mehta approached a Bandra court and filed a complaint regarding the fraud, and the court directed the Bandra police station under section 175(3) of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to register an FIR. The Bandra police registered a case. The case may soon be transferred to the EOW (economic offences wing),” Singh said.

Mehta alleged in the FIR that “the accused, while working as an alleged trustee in the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust (LKMMT), in connivance with other accused companies as well as their directors, by allegedly adopting different methods in the purchases of medical equipment, furniture and pictures, computers, other equipment, medical and legal books, office equipment, electrical equipment, vehicles and ambulances, land and building, surgical consumables, pharmacy, chemist, etc., embezzled funds and committed a fraud”.

The police have booked the 17 accused, including former trustees and equipment suppliers and vendors, under sections 403, 406, 409, 420, 465, 467, 471, 474, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. Read

YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) for questioning over derogatory remarks made on Samay Raina's show 'India's Got Latent'.

The NCW had taken serious note of the offensive comments by Ranveer Allahbadia, Apoorva Makhija, Samay Raina, Jaspreet Singh, and Chanchlani, summoning them along with Tushar Poojari and Saurabh Bothra.

Chanchlani was initially summoned on February 17 but requested a reschedule due to ill health. (PTI)

The Mumbai Maritime Board (MMB) on Monday lodged a complaint with the Public Works Department (PWD) against the unauthorised dumping of debris of stone chips and cement on the sandy sea beach at Carter Road promenade.

The debris is the result of an ongoing project at the Carter Road promenade, which includes the construction of a fishing boat jetty as well as an elevated platform for drying fish by the local Koli (fisherfolk) community.

In its letter, the MMB said, “It has come to our notice that five trucks have dumped debris on the Carter Road beach on March 8, 2025. This place is within the jurisdiction of MMB; therefore it is immediately instructed that the dumped debris should be immediately removed from the said place”. Read Here

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai was awarded the ‘Best Airport over 40 million passengers’ in the Asia-Pacific region on Monday.

The Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award was presented to the Mumbai airport by the Airports Council International (ACI), marking the eighth consecutive win for CSMIA.

The ASQ Awards are based on direct passenger feedback collected and verified by ACI, recognising airports that prioritise customer experience.

Read more here.

The number of road accidents in Maharashtra has gone up in the last three years, as per data shared by state Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, news agency PTI reported.

To a question on road accidents in the state assembly, Sarnaik, in a written reply, said 33,383 accidents and 15,224 deaths were reported in 2022. In 2023, there were 35,243 cases of accidents and 15,366 deaths. The number rose to 36,084 accidents and 15,335 deaths last year, he said.

The minister also stated that his department is procuring machines to assess if a driver has consumed drugs, besides conducting the alcohol test.

The minister said the AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology will also be used to alert drivers if there is any traffic violation and impending fines.

He also admitted that the state has not been able to implement the highway Intelligent Traffic Management System. (PTI)

From rising revenue expenditure and debt stock to a negligible increase in capital expenditure, Finance Minister Ajit Pawar presented a Rs 7-lakh crore Maharashtra Budget that not only refrained from declaring any significant new scheme but also stayed silent on fulfilling a number of poll promises made by the ruling alliance — such as enhancing the monthly outgo for Ladki Bahin Yojana and waiving farm loans, among others.

The election year sops announced by the previous Mahayuti government and its implementation mid-year had impacted the financial health of Maharashtra, resulting in the increase of revenue expenditure by Rs 87,341.15 crore over the budget estimates of 2024-25.

The capital expenditure for 2025-26 has seen a marginal increase of Rs 385.89 crore over the budget estimate of Rs 92,779 crore for 2024-25.

Read the full story here.

Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane Monday announced an initiative to issue Malhar certification to jhatka mutton shops which he said will “help Hindus identify mutton shops owned by people from the community”.

“A new concept has been launched for jhatka mutton in the form of Malhar certification for the Hindu community of Maharashtra. This will help Hindus identify mutton shops owned by Hindus, who will sell unadulterated meat. The initiative will empower Hindu traders, and I urge Hindus to refrain from buying mutton from shops that do not carry the Malhar certification,” said Rane, who holds the Fisheries and Ports Development portfolios.

The Malhar Certification is not a government initiative. It has been launched by private entities, which aim to establish a network of certified jhatka meat suppliers across Maharashtra.

Read the full story here.

Soon after the Finance Minister Ajit Pawar announced the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government’s Budget for the 2025-26 fiscal on Monday, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) accused the Mahayuti government of not fulfilling the promises made by it during the Assembly polls.

“No promises made by the government in the manifesto have been fulfilled in the budget. This is a bogus budget. Such a bogus budget has not been presented by any government in the past many years,” Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray said while speaking to media.

Here's what the Opposition is saying about the Budget.

After the Budget was presented in the Maharashtra Assembly, CM Devendra Fadnavis pointed out it would help the state to secure loans.

“Maharashtra’s budget size has reached Rs 7 lakh crore, making it the largest budget in the country, after Uttar Pradesh. As a result, the state’s ability to avail loan has also increased. The budget has managed to keep the fiscal deficit at 2.7 per cent which had gone to 2.9 per cent," said Fadnavis.

"The state will progress keeping the five-point agenda ahead,” he added.

He said the budget is based on a five-point agenda -- agriculture, industry, infrastructure, employment and social welfare.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said his government will focus on the 'Lakhpati Didi' scheme to ensure creation of one crore beneficiaries.

The scheme was launched by the Union government in 2023 and recognises women members of SHGs, who have an annual income of at least Rs 1 lakh from agriculture, animal husbandry, and small industries, as ‘Lakhpati Didis'.

"The state government will focus on women empowerment through the Lakhpati Didi scheme. We aim to create one crore women beneficiaries with annual income of Rs 1 lakh. This will ensure financial independence for women and foster a circular economy. Over 23 lakh women have benefitted so far, with plans to add another 24 lakh this year," he said.

The target is to have one crore women beneficiaries earning Rs 8,000- Rs10,000 monthly, creating a robust network of self-reliance, the CM added. --PTI

In the agricultural sector, the Mahayuti government is yet to announce a list of initiatives.

The Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani Project is intended to help small farmers grow climate resilient crops will be implemented in 7,201 villages across 21 districts in its second phase. A budget of Rs 351.42 crore has been allocated for this phase. The state experienced a heat wave in March.

Under the Mukhyamantri Baliraja Mofat Veej Yojna, 45 lakh water pumps will receive free electricity.

With allocation of over Rs 500 crore, artificial Intelligence will be implemented in the agricultural sector to benefit 1 lakh acres of land and 50,000 farmers.

Wainganga-Nalganga river project and the Tapi mega recharge project will benefit large areas of agricultural land.

Rs 4,300 crore bamboo plantation project will be launched to boost the state's bamboo industry.

Notably, over Rs 3000 crore of the Rs 6,486.20 crore worth of supplementary demands was dedicated to rural development.

The Maharashtra government will soon announce the New Industrial Policy for 2025. With an aim to attract investments worth 40 lakh crore over the next five years, the New Industrial Policy's goal is four times the amount of investments envisioned under the previous policy (2019-2024). The policy is intended to generate 50 lakh jobs.

Logistics infrastructure will be developed across more than 10,000 acres of land.

Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) will be developed as a growth hub with a goal of boosting the GDP from $140 billion to $300 billion.

Gadchiroli will be developed as a steel hub with transportation projects up to Rs 500 crore.

A Rs 6,400 crore package has been proposed for industrial development.

Maharashtra Deputy CM and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar said that an investment of one lakh crore is planned over the next 10 years in the tourism sector.

A slew of memorials are in the cards under the tourism policy.

These include a grand memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji which will be constructed in Agra from where the Maratha Empire's ruler escaped from Aurangzeb's captivity in 1666.

Rs 50 crore will be allocated for the Shivsrushti project in Ambegaon in Pune district. The project is envisioned as a cultural and educational destination celebrating Shivaji's legacy.

A grand memorial for Chhatrapati Sambhaji will be built in Sangameshwar in coastal Konkan. Chhatrapati Sambhaji, the son of Shivaji, was captured and killed in Sangameshwar.

A memorial will also be built in Panipat, Haryana, to symbolize the Maratha valour, news agency PTI quoted Pawar saying.

Maharashtra government proposed to levy motor vehicle tax at the rate of 6 per cent on electric vehicles priced above Rs. 30 lakhs.

"The tax is levied only on EV which are priced above Rs 30 lakh because it's luxury and not below that," CM Devendra Fadnavis said.

On the question of increased payout of Rs 2100 to eligible women under the Ladki Bahin Yojana, CM Devendra Fadnavis said that they are working on it and indicated that the increased payout will not be anytime soon.

"It's important to maintain financial discipline in the budget and that has been considered in the budget," Fadnavis said.

The Maharashtra government has announced its plans to increase motor vehicle tax rate by 1 per cent.

Motor vehicle tax is currently levied at the rate of 7 per cent to 9 per cent on individual-owned non-transport four-wheeler CNG and LPG vehicles depending on the vehicle type and price.

The proposed increase in the motor vehicle tax rate is expected to generate an additional revenue of around Rs 150 crores for the State in 2025-26.

State government announced an Amnesty Scheme, in respect of arrears of the Public Sector Undertaking Companies under various laws administered by the State Tax Department prior to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax Act.

This Scheme will be called the ‘Maharashtra Settlement of Arrears of Tax, Interest, Penalty or late Fee (Payable by the Public Sector Undertaking Companies) Act, 2025’.

The Amnesty Scheme will be in force from the date of commencement of the Act till 31st December 2025.

While presenting the Budget for the financial year 2025, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar said that the state will take the leading role in realising the Prime Minister's Viksit Bharat dream of turning India into a developing country.

Despite facing challenges in revenue collection and keeping capital expenditure afloat, Pawar, remained optimistic and said that the 56 companies which signed MoUs at Davos will help bring in investments worth Rs 15.72 lakh crore and generate 16 lakh jobs.

According to the economic survey presented last week in the Budget session Maharashtra's economy is expected to grow by 7.3 per cent, ahead of the country's average growth of 6.5 per cent.

Finance Minister Ajit Pawar announced Maharashtra government's plans to build a memorial at Agra from where Maratha Empire ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji escaped from Mughal custody.

Maharashtra Finance Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday announced that the state will have a new health and senior citizens policy, news agency PTI reported.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio in the state Assembly, tabled the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government’s Budget for the 2025-26 fiscal on Monday.

This will be the 11th state Budget being presented by him in the state Assembly.

Maharashtra Finance Minister Ajit Pawar and MoS Finance Ashish Jaiswal arrive at legislative building to present the annual budget for year 2025-26.

(Express Photo)

Shiv Sena UBT president Uddhav Thackeray Sunday dared chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to announce the increased financial aid of Rs 2,100 to all eligible women under the Ladki Bahin scheme from this month and to announce complete farm loan waivers.

The Mahayuti government had launched the Ladki Bahin Yojana in July 2024 where it provides Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women.

In its poll manifesto ahead of the state Assembly elections, Mahayuti had promised to increase the amount to Rs 2,100.

Read what the Shiv Sena leader has to say.

An Air India flight from Mumbai to New York (AI119) was forced to return mid-air on Monday, March 10, after a potential security threat was detected onboard.

Following the threat, the aircraft followed standard security protocols and landed safely back at Mumbai airport at 10:25 am local.

The flight has been rescheduled to depart at 5 am on March 11. Meanwhile, all passengers have been provided hotel accommodation, meals, and other necessary assistance.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar will present the eleventh budget on Monday at 2 pm.

With this, he will become the finance minister to present the Budget second-highest number of times.

The highest record is held by former Congress finance minister Sheshrao Wankhede who presented the state Budget thirteen times.

In our Opinion section today, Girish Kuber, delving on the ‘tough test’ for Fadnavis ahead of the Budget, writes: “With the going getting increasingly tough as more and more states get competitive, Maharashtra can ill afford its business-as-usual attitude. No one knows this better than Fadnavis, the man in the hot seat. His government’s first budget today will test his navigation skills as well as his ability to steady the large ship he is in charge of steering.”

This comes as the first Budget of the Mahayuti government is set to be presented on Monday in the Maharashtra Assembly.

Read the full Opinion here.

In an attempt to strike a delicate balance between allocating resources for its 2024 Assembly poll promises and providing funds for capital expenditure to keep pace with growth and development, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government is under pressure to take bold decisions in Budget 2025-26.

The main challenge facing the government is to find new ways to increase its revenue and boost capital expenditure. The state has experienced significant political turmoil over the past five years, with two different governments, each serving for 2.5 years. As a result, the state’s economy has undoubtedly suffered.

As the PM’s Economic Advisory Committee report (2024) pointed out, Maharashtra’s national GDP contributions went down from 15.2 per cent in 2010-11 to 13 per cent and 13.3 per cent in 2020-21, and 2023-24, respectively.

Read more about the challenge Maharashtra government faces ahead of the Budget.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio in the state Assembly, will be presenting Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government’s Budget for the 2025-26 fiscal on Monday.

The main challenge facing the government ahead of the Budget session is to find new ways to increase its revenue and boost capital expenditure as the state has experienced significant political turmoil over the past five years, with two different governments, each serving for 2.5 years.

Will the government be able to take bold decisions? Stay tuned to know more.

Welcome to our live blog. Stay tuned for the latest updates on Maharashtra Budget 2025-26!