Maharashtra Budget 2020: FM Ajit Pawar gives priority to agriculture, health, education and women development

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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar presented the maiden budget of the Shiv-Sena led Maha Vikas Aghadi in the Legislative Assembly on Friday (March 6, 2020) and said that the losses incurred by the country due to the imposition of GST has affected the developments of the state. 

In his budget speech, the Maharashtra finance minister informed that the total debt on the State till January 2020 is Rs 4,33,901 crore. The agriculture, health, education and women development received a major portion of the budget. 

The farmers of Maharashtra were kept in concern in the Maha Vikas Aghadi's budget and a sum of Rs 9035 crore was allotted for the farmer's scheme. Pawar also announced that an amount of Rs 2 lakh will be deposited in bank accounts of farmers whose dues were more than Rs 2 lakh till September 30, 2019. In order to develop sugarcane farming in the state the government said that it will soon begin the system of drip irrigation farming in the state.   

Giving the agriculture sector a major preference, Pawar said that solar pump will be installed in every village and scheme amounting to 10 crore rupees will be bought in the next five years. The irrigation department will also be provided Rs 10235 crore in the budget 2020-21. 

Blaming the central government, Pawar said, ''Central government did not approve funds last year for farmers who faced crop loss due to rainfall. Center only approved around Rs 956 crores, so instead of waiting for the Center's help, we took the initiative to help farmers.''

The Devendra Fadnavis Jalyukt Shivar scheme was also replaced as by the Mukhya Mantri Jal Sadharan Yojana by the newly formed government in Maharashtra. Pawar also made the announcement of new airports to be set up in Solapur and Pune by the state government. 

Rs 3254 was also allotted for agriculture, dairy, fisheries and animal husbandry.  Maharashtra's Cooperative department also received an amount of Rs 7995 crore in the budget presentation by Maha Vikas Aghadi. 

The Health sector received Rs 5000 crore and Rs 2500 was announced for medical education facility. The Uddhav Thackrey led government also announced that 4 schools will be opened in every Tehsil and nearly 1115 crore Adarsh school will be made in the coming four years. 

The government has allocated Rs 5 crore rupees for establishing Mumbai Marathi library in order to promote the regional language. 

Keeping the unemployment in concern, the Maharashtra government announced that a scheme will be launched for the unemployed of the year age group 21 to 28.  

All districts in the state will have one women police station having only women police officers, said Pawar to ensure women safety in the state. 

On the infrastructural front, a 170-km ring road has been proposed at Pune. "We will start land acquisition and complete it in four years. Maharashtra will only pay for land acquisition whereas the construction cost will be borne by Centre," said Pawar. He said that all roads leading up to major markets in every city in Maharashtra will be revamped, and an amount of ₹1,000 crore has been proposed for this.

The government made a provision of Rs 150 crore for the subsidised food scheme for the poor and said that the government has set a target of feeding one lakh people through its 'Shiv Bhojan' meal scheme.