Devendra Fadnavis, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, presented the state budget in the legislative assembly on Thursday. This is the government's first budget, and it is based on the principles of 'Panchamrut,' with five focal points: farmers, women, youth, employment, and the environment.
The budget presentation game a day after the Economic Survey of Maharashtra was tabled in the assembly which projected the state to grow at a rate of 6.8%.
Top announcements in the Maharashtra Budget:
- The Deputy Chief Minister announced an annual cash benefit of Rs.6,000 for the farmers of Maharashtra. The scheme will be on the lines of the Union Government's PM KISAN Yojna and will cost Rs.6,900 crore to the state government.
- The government will conduct e-panchnama with the help of drones and satellites to assess the damage due to natural calamities like unseasonal rains. Fadnavis announced an insurance cover of Rs.5 lakh for fisherfolks.
- The government has announced Rs.1,800 cash benefits for farmers of 14 suicide-hit districts.
- Maharashtra government also announced the fourth comprehensive women's policy under which a girl from the Below Poverty Line (BPL) family will receive Rs.75,000 from the state government till she attains the age of 18.
- Fadnavis announced more relief for women in form of 50% discounts on travel across the state using the state transport system.
- The government has also announced the Led-Ladki scheme under which grants will be given to yellow and orange ration card holders for education.
- For the betterment of working women in Maharashtra, 50 new hostels will be started for working women. Fadnavis announced a hike in the remuneration of Anganwadi workers from Rs.8,300 to 10,000 and of Anganwadi helpers from Rs.5,500 from the existing Rs.4,425 a month.
- Maharashtra has increased the Mediclaim cover given to BPL families under Mahatma Phule Jivandayee Yojna from Rs.1.5 lakh to Rs.5 lakh. The free treatment of Mahatma Phule Janarogya Yojana has also increased from Rs.1.5 lakh to Rs.5 lakh.
- The Modi Awas Yojana is set to be implemented to construct 1 million budget-friendly homes in the next three years, at a cost of Rs.12,000 crore. Out of the total, 300,000 houses are planned to be built in the year 2023-24. Additionally, a welfare board for autorickshaws and taxi drivers will be launched in Maharashtra.
- The Maharashtra government will use a 1,000-acre plot in Nagpur to develop a logistics hub. Fadnavis also informed that 46 km of metro lines have already been operational and around 50 km will become operational this year. The total length of the project is 337 km planned in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.