Maharashtra govt proposes additional budget of Rs 86.09 billion

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar announced the presentation of supplementary demands amounting to Rs 86.09 billion to the legislature on the eve of tabling the state budget for 2024-2025. This is in addition to the Rs 555.20 billion in extra demands made during the previous Winter Session in December 2023. The supplementary demands cover various sectors, including allocations for farmers, the power sector, urban and rural civic bodies, the judiciary department, public health, transportation, and other departments. An amount of Rs 22.10 billion has already been allocated for farmers who suffered crop and horticulture damage due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms. Additionally, Rs 20.31 billion has been earmarked for a subsidy to MahaVitaran for power supplied to agricultural pumps, handlooms, and powerlooms in the state. Provisions have been made for Rs 20.19 billion towards loans to urban bodies under the Urban Infrastructure Development Fund from nationalised banks, along with Rs 8 billion for providing civic amenities by urban and rural civic bodies. Furthermore, Rs 14.38 billion has been set aside for the payment of loan arrears to Mumbai Metro 3, Pune, and Nagpur Metros. Another provision of Rs 13.28 billion has been made for the arrears of various allowances provided to judicial officials as per the Reddy Commission. The government has allocated Rs 4.85 billion for the salaries of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) staff and Rs 2.51 billion for transport cess. Additionally, Rs 4.32 billion has been designated for pensions and other retirement benefits of high court judges.