Emergency fund increased

MUMBAI, Feb 9: Governor of Maharashtra, Dr P C Alexander today issued an ordinance increasing the state emergency fund from Rs 150 crore to Rs 350 crore to make provision for the expenditure for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Read a statement issued from Mantralaya late Monday night, the ordinance came into operation with immediate effect.

However, it was only a temporary arrangement for a specific time, the press release said. The state will have to spend Rs 90 crore for the mid-term polls and the expenditure was not shown in the state8217;s annual budget. This will also help the state government to arrange money towards compensation to the farmers who lost their crops in the untimely rains last year, provide food to Anganwadis in the state and to finance the Employment Guarantee Scheme.