Mumbai: Shivneri Museum based on life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a Maharashtra Bhawan Guest house at Srinagar and Ayodhya, an emphasis on infrastructure projects — all these were included in Maharashtra state’s interim budget ahead of the elections.
State finance minister Ajit Pawar Tuesday presented an interim budget of Rs 6,00,522 crore with a revenue deficit of Rs 9,734 crore expected this financial year.
Against the backdrop of the ongoing Maratha agitation, Pawar announced that the state has decided to set up a Museum based on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Vadaj in Taluka Junnar. It will include a museum, model village from Shivaji era, replicas of forts and an amphitheatre, among other things.
Pawar also provided the status of big-ticket infrastructure projects and announced new schemes as well.
As far as the Navi Mumbai International Airport is concerned, the first phase will now be opened in March 2025.
PM’s ambitious project — the Mumbai to Ahmedabad bullet train — is also on track, according to Pawar, “Land acquisition for India’s first bullet train, Mumbai to Ahmedabad high-speed rail project, is almost completed in Maharashtra,” he said.
The government also announced the upgrade of 7,000 km of roads in addition to upgradation of 10,000 km of roads in Phase 2 of the “Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana” to strengthen connectivity to rural areas. And for that, an expenditure of Rs 7,600 crore has been allotted.
Along with that, the government announced development of new infrastructure.
Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Bandra- Versova Sea Link, commonly referred to as the Bandra sea bridge, will now be extended to Palghar, and the Vilasrao Deshmukh Eastern Freeway will be extended to Thane city.
Apart from that, Rs 22,225 crore for land acquisition for Virar-Alibaug Multimodal Corridor; Rs 10,519 crore for land acquisition for Pune Ring Road; Rs 2,886 crore for land acquisition of Jalna-Nanded Expressway is being set aside, Pawar said.
To appeal to voters and encourage tourism to Ayodhya, Maharashtra government has announced setting up of Maharashtra Bhawan Guest house in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir and Shri Ram Janmabhoomi at Ayodhya.
“In both these places, the respective state governments have provided land at prime locations for which a provision of Rs 77 crore is set aside,” Pawar said.
“This budget will give justice and development opportunities to all the elements such as farmers, labourers, women, students, youth, backward classes, tribals, minorities, entrepreneurs, and businessmen through the budget. The necessary policies to make the economy of the state one trillion dollars will be implemented through the budget,” he added.
Pawar also said that the state government received Rs 8,618 crore as GST refund.
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Opposition slams budget
Speaking to the media, former CM Uddhav Thackeray said that the budget has been made “keeping in mind the elections”. “This budget is like for contractors, friends are happy while farmers are in distress.”
Nana Patole, Congress state chief, said that this budget is just about announcements. “To hide their failure and corruption, the government has announced a slew of measures,” he said to the media.
State Finance Minister Pawar’s former colleague from the undivided NCP, Jayant Patil, now state chief of NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar, also slammed the budget and said that the government has just painted a rosy picture, but the share of government is limited. “There is no financial planning. Announcements are made taking the elections into account. These amounts are just an emotional appeal to the people. In fact, this is nothing but damage control for their image.”
Key highlights of the budget
Pawar also announced that Maharashtra is committed to achieving one-trillion-dollar economy.
On day 1 of the budget session of the state assembly, the government had tabled supplementary demands worth Rs 8,609 crore, including Rs 1,438.78 crore for the repayment of outstanding loans related to Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune metros.
The government has announced construction of twin tunnels to join Coastal Road and Atal Setu. It has also allocated Rs 229 crore for Radio Club Jetty, and Rs 300 crore for Ratnagiri Port, under the Centre’s Sagarmala scheme.
The government also announced that Vadhvan port will be developed at a cost of Rs 76,220 crore and serve as a satellite port for Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT)
Rs 529 crore has been set aside for Sambhajinagar Airport expansion. Besides this, five industrial parks are being constructed to increase exports. A provision of Rs 10,600 crore has been made for the Urban Development Department and Rs 19,936 crore for the Public Works Department. A proposal has also been sent to the central government to get World Heritage status for 11 forts in Maharashtra.
Along with this, 34,000 houses will be built for the disabled, the budget stated. A state-of-the-art skywalk project will be set up in Lonavala.
Centres for Marathi Language will also be constructed in Delhi, Goa and Belgaum.
To address the issue of floods in western Maharashtra, Rs 2,300 crore worth of work will be done in Kolhapur and Sangli. Moreover, provision of Rs 2,000 crore has been made for work to clear irrigation backlog in Vidarbha.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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