Devendra Fadnavis says Budget all-inclusive and growth good considering previous years figures

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the state budget presented by him for 2023-24 was all-inclusive with provisions for the welfare of farmers, women as well as infrastructure development.

The state’s economic growth rate of 6.8 percent this fiscal was good in light of the previous two-three years, said Fadnavis, who holds the finance portfolio, while replying to the debate on budget in the Legislative Assembly.

In 2020-21, it (growth rate) was negative 7.2 percent, in 2021-22 it was 9.1 percent and 6.8 percent in 2022-23, he said. The fiscal deficit was within limit, Fadnavis added.

He will table an action-taken-report on the budget in 2024 before presenting the next budget, he said. He highlighted the Namo Shetkari Sanman scheme introduced by the budget under which farmers will get Rs 6,000 in addition to the Rs 6,000 given by the central government.

When farmers lose their crop to unseasonal rains and hailstorm, Rs 12,000 will come in handy for re-sowing, Fadnavis said, adding that at least a start has been made (regarding giving aid to farmers). He also spoke about schemes such as incentives on the birth of a girl child and increase in the health insurance cover under the Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya scheme from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

The previous Maha Viksas Aghadi (MVA) government of the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress did not fulfil any of the assurances in its common minimum program, Fadnavis claimed.

Even though the Shiv Sena was the largest group in the MVA, the departments controlled by its ministers got only 15 percent of the budget allocations, Fadnavis claimed.

On the other hand, in the present government the departments controlled by the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have got 34 percent allocations, he said.