This year, the government allocated Rs 36,000 crore for the Ladki Bahin scheme below Rs 46,000 crore in the July 2024 budget. The state government justified the move, saying that from July 2024, the actual expenditure on the scheme was less than anticipated, Rs 33,232 crore.
“The budget is important to maintain financial discipline, and it has been considered … when we estimated the budget for Ladki sister last time, we realized that the real expenses were less than our estimates. Therefore, this time, we have based our estimates based on real expenses. And if you notice, it is more than the actual expense of the previous year, ”CM Devendra Fadnavis said while addressing a press conference after the budget speech.
Asked when the government will increase the stipend to Rs 2,100, the CM said that since the promise was in his manifesto, the government will do so when the time is correct. Announcement, he said, it was planned to be done within five years of the promise.
The budget has mainly focused on developing ports, airports and metro lines, besides creating a memorial for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Later this year, with the corporation elections, the government has also emphasized on developing MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Area) as a development center.
In Gadchiroli, where CM Devendra Fadnavis is the guardian minister, the government wanted to create a steel hub, Pawar said.
Pawar said in his budget speech, “This budget includes important provisions for the development of industries, infrastructure, agriculture and allied sectors, as well as in social (region) and other areas.”
Pawar further said that the government prepared a seven-point, 100-day plan while development of websites, ease of life, solution of public grievances, improvement in office facilities, promoting investment and focusing on trips in regional offices.
However, the opposition slammed the budget, called it a “a budget”, where there is no promise [made] During election [were] Completed. ,
“This is a fake budget. There is no mention of Rs 2,100 for the Ladki sister for the farm loan exemption for the farmers. There is nothing for the common people, but for the contractors (everything is), especially the government’s number will be raised in Mumbai, “former CM Uddhav Thackeray said.” This is not a development budget, but has to take Maharashtra into a pit. Maharashtra’s fall has already started. “
According to the Economic Survey presented in the budget session last week, Maharashtra’s economy is expected to increase by 7.3%, beyond the country’s average increase of 6.5%.
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Fiscal health
Despite the volley of schemes and incentives last year for the state assembly elections, the Maharashtra government has stayed within the criteria for fiscal discipline, managing its fiscal deficit and debt under recommended levels.
In his budget, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has estimated the fiscal deficit of 2.76 percent of the state’s GDP for the 2025-26 financial year.
The 15th Finance Commission has recommended a three percent fiscal deficit range between 2023 and 2026 for the states.
Speaking to reporters, CM Fadnavis praised Pawar for ensuring the state’s fiscal welfare.
“Various schemes led to a rapid increase in committed expenditure and revenue expenditure, but the Finance Minister did not lose its balance. It was estimated that the fiscal deficit would last up to five percent and Maharashtra, for the first time, would go into the fiscal indicate, ”Fadnavis said.
For the ongoing financial year, the state government made a budget for fiscal deficit, which was 2.59 percent of the state gross domestic state product (GSDP).
The previous Mahayuti government had faced enough questions about the state running in fiscal indiscipline, the then Eknath Shinde-led government launched incentives and subsidies in the run-up in the assembly elections in November last year. It included its major dear sister -in -law scheme, under which women between the ages of 21 to 65, with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh, receive Rs 1,500/month.
Other schemes launched in the budget include free higher education for girls from economically weaker sections and backward classes, three free gas cylinders for eligible homes, financial assistance for cotton, financial assistance for soybeans and onion farmers, free electricity for farmers through solar pumps, and a trainee scheme for youth.
The incentive carried forward the state’s estimated revenue expenditure. Most of the amount spent on the schemes launched in the budget is counted under revenue expenditure as they include subsidies.
Revenue Expenditure – The amount spent for general functioning of government departments – is a large part of the expenditure incurred by any government. This includes broadly loans, secondly, salary-pension and interest payment on subsidy.
The previous Mahayuti government spent a revenue of Rs 5.19 lakh crore for 2024-25, this time for Rs 5.62 lakh crore. The move has increased the estimated fiscal deficit for 2024–25, which has been under the recommended guidelines.
Similarly, the loan of the estimated GSDP ratio for 2025–26 is 18.77 percent, which remained within the recommended limit of less than 25 percent.
“There are only two states where the loan of GSDP ratio is less than 20 percent. One is Maharashtra, and the other is Gujarat. The rest are above 20 percent, and some are more than 25 percent, ”Pawar spoke to reporters after the budget.
To achieve this fiscal discipline, the state government has not only spent itself on some schemes, such as its major dear sister scheme compared to the previous budget on the basis of actual expenses, but it has also planned to promote Maharashtra’s tax revenue.
Pawar has estimated that the tax revenue will increase to Rs 3.87 lakh crore for the fiscal of 2025-26, which will be compared to a revised estimate of Rs 3.67 lakh crore for the ongoing fiscal.
For this, the Finance Minister has proposed to increase the motor vehicle tax to one percent and increase the motor vehicle tax of six percent on electric vehicles priced more than Rs 30 lakhs, seven percent motor vehicle tax levy on light goods carrying goods up to 7,500 kg, and seven percent motor vehicle tax on all vehicles used for construction.
Industry and infrastructure
The budget focused on developing Maharashtra as an industrial and infrastructure-bullying state. The government will soon announce 2025 industrial policy, which will attract an investment of Rs 40 lakh crore and will generate 50 lakh jobs in a five -year period.
To convert Gadchiroli into a steel hub, an investment agreement of Rs 21,830 crore, which would probably generate 7,500 jobs, came on the World Economic Forum.
In addition, the land acquisition process is going on for the Bengaluru-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.
The government is also investing in the Wadhavan port in Palghar district, where its share will be 26% of Rs 76,220 crore.
The government will also construct a third airport for Mumbai and Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train stations near the Wadhavan Port, which connects to Mahamarg.
After the Mumbai-moon and Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, the government has started the land acquisition process from Nagpur-Goa to Shaktipeeth Highway. Expressway covers a length of 760 km and a cost of Rs 86,300 crore, will spread from Pavanar in Vardh district to Paterevi in Indudhag district.
Work on metro routes covering a distance of 143.57 km is going on in Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune. This year, 64.4 km metro lines will be operational in Mumbai and Pune and 237.5 km in the next five years, Pawar said.
The metro line project connecting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to Navi Mumbai International Airport in Mumbai will start soon.
The government has also approved development works worth Rs 1,367 crore for Shirdi Airport. In 2021, Shirdi Airport gained the status of a major airport. Night landing facility will also start soon.
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MMR area
With the important corporation elections in vision, the special focus of the budget was on developing the Mumbai region as a development center, which was established at seven places with international level trade centers, such as the Bandra-Kurla Complex, Kurla-Vorli, Wadala, Goregaon, Navi Mumbai, Khargar, and Veerar-Bairyar.
64,783 crore – Versova to Madhur Creek Bridge, Versova to Bhayand Costal Road, and Mulund to Goregaon, Thane to Borivali, and from Orange Gate to Marine Drive to Merine Drive to Mumbai Suborbes – Five projects are on all cards – all cards on all cards.
The elevated connector between Seri and Worli with an estimated cost of Rs 1,051 crore is scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2026.
The first phase of the much awaited Navi Mumbai Airport is almost complete, and the government says that domestic operations will begin in April 2025.
Soon, there will also be a policy for providing financial incentives for modern, well -equipped boats, which is to ensure a safe journey from India, Mumbai to Mandwa and Elifenta.
Pav said, “The aim is to increase the size of the economy of the Mumbai metropolitan sector from $ 140 billion to $ 140 billion to $ 300 billion to 2030 and by 2047 to $ 1.5 trillion.”
In addition, a plan is floating a plan to create an elevated route from Thane to Navi Mumbai International Airport, which will easily connect Thane, Dombivali, Kalyan and other important cities to the international airport.
other features
The government also announced that it planned to build a memorial for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Agra, where he was taken captive and planned to run his great great. For this project, Maharashtra will talk with the Uttar Pradesh government, Pawar said.
Not only in Uttar Pradesh, the government said that it planned to build a memorial in Pinipat, Haryana, as well, “as a symbol of the bravery of millions of Marathas, who sacrificed the Battle of Pinipat for Swarajya.”
Pawar said that a Shivurushti project is under implementation in four phases in Ambegaon, Pune, which presents future generations for the inspirational heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. With the completion of two phases of the project, the state government will provide an additional Rs 50 crore to speed up the remaining work.
In addition, the government has announced ‘Housing for All’ in the next five years under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The state government will increase the subsidy of Rs 50,000 for this scheme.
The government, which did not increase the allocation for the Ladki Bahin scheme, claimed that about 2.2 million women have already received the situation of Lakhpati Didi under the Dandeli Antidya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission ‘. Pawar said, “The target for 2025-26 is to enable additional 2.4 million women to become lacquer ministers.”
The Ladki Bahin Yojana, declared by Eknath Shinde in 2023, provides financial assistance to girls born in families with yellow and orange ration cards, until they continue to Rs 1 lakh till the age of 18 years. The budget kept a separate provision of Rs 50 crore for this.
Marathi recently gave a classical language status, the Maharashtra government plans to celebrate October 3-9 as the classical Marathi language week.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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