Maha Govt tables supplementary demands of record Rs 94,889 cr

Mumbai : Minutes after passage of the Appropriation Bill, 2024, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday presented the supplementary demands worth Rs 94,889.06 crore in the Assembly.

This is necessitated to finance a slew of freebies and sops announced by Ajit Pawar in budget 2024-25 with an eye on the Assembly elections slated for September-October this year.

Ajit Pawar had presented a budget of Rs 6,12,293 crore on June 28 in the Assembly with a revenue deficit of Rs 20,051 crore and fiscal deficit of Rs 1.10 lakh crore.

Even though the supplementary demands are to the tune of Rs 94,889.06 crore, the direct financial burden on the state government will be Rs 88,770.64 crore.

Various schemes announced in the budget to be funded included Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana (Rs 46,000 crore), free higher education for girls (Rs 2,000 crore), Mukhyamantri Yuva Karya Prashikshan Yojana (Rs 10,000 crore), free electricity to farmers for agricultural pumps up to 7.5 horse power capacity (Rs 14,761 crore) and few small and big schemes for various sections (Rs 20,000-25,000 crore).

As per the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, financial aid of Rs 1,500 per month (annually Rs 18,000) will be provided to underprivileged women with an annual income below Rs 2.5 lakh. The government on Tuesday earmarked Rs 25,000 crore in the supplementary demands.

The government has earmarked Rs 6,000 crore towards special grants to put in place basic amenities in municipal and rural areas and special works in municipal council limits, Rs 5,555 crore for Mukhyamantri Yuva Karya Prashikshan Yojana and state-level Namo Maharojgar camps, Rs 5,060 crore for Namo Shetkari Maha Samman Nidhi Yojana, Rs 4,194.68 crore for financial assistance to farmers for the damage caused to soybean and cotton crops due to natural calamities.

Further, the government has earmarked Rs 3,615.94 crore for tivetan and Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Anudan Yojana, Rs 3,526 crore for Amrut 2.0.

The government has allocated Rs 2,930 crore to provide free electricity up to 7.5 horse power to agricultural pumps, Rs 2,323 crore for grants to Urban Local Bodies, Rs 2,265 crore for providing margin money loan to eligible cooperative sugar factories and Rs 1,893.24 crore for providing honorarium to police patil.

The government has earmarked Rs 1,879.97 crore to the cash-starved Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, Rs 1,438 crore for the repayment of loan under Mumbai Metro 3 project, Rs 1,400.14 crore for Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, Rs 1,250 crore for Modi Awas Gharkul Yojana, Rs 1,136 crore for payment of electricity bills by gram panchayats towards water supply, Rs 1,009.33 crore for scholarship to EWS students, Rs 1,000 crore for providing incentives to small, medium and major industries and Rs 1,000 crore for undertaking urban services and amenities by ULBs.

The government has earmarked Rs 26,273 crore to the women and child welfare department, Rs 14,595.13 crore to urban development department, Rs 10,724.85 crore to agriculture and animal husbandry department, Rs 6,055.50 crore to skill development, Rs 4,638.82 crore to public works department, Rs 4,395.38 crore to industry, energy, labour and mining department, Rs 4,316.92 crore to social justice department, Rs 4,185.34 crore to public health department, Rs 33,74,08 crore to home department, Rs 3,003.07 crore to cooperation department and Rs 2,885.09 crore to OBC welfare department.