Maharashtra Budget presented; In please-all budget, deficit at Rs 20,293 cr

Maharashtra Budget: The Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis led BJP government presented the budget on Tuesday. Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar was at hand to unveil the budget that was promptly dubbed as one aimed at pleasing everybody. The state budget had a revenue deficit of Rs 20,293 crore. Notably, last year's shortfall was Rs 14,960 crore.

Government's revenue expenditure stood at Rs 334,933 crore, while the revenue receipts were estimated at Rs 314,640 crore.
FM Mungantiwar laid stress on agriculture and irrigation, infrastructure development, special emphasis women, backward classes and tribals and on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Here are the highlights:
1. Outlay of Rs 12,000 crore for the irrigation sector
2. Rs 350 crore for micro-irrigation facilities 
3. Rs 1,000 crore for the upliftment of the Dhangar community
4. Rs 200 crore for a new OBC corporation
5. Rs 600 crore for research in the four agricultural universities in the state
6. Rs 100 crore for housing for the handicapped.
7. Rs 4,461 has been credited as a `grant` in bank accounts of nearly 6.70 million farmers in around 18,000 villages in the 26 worst-hit districts of the state under farmers` loan waiver schemes.
8. Under Gopinath Munde Shetkari Apghat Vima Yojana, an insurance cover would be given to 5.50 crore people - which has been expanded to cover the entire family with an outlay of Rs 210 crore.
9. A provision of Rs 6,410 crore has been made to deal with natural disasters
10. Benefits of an amnesty scheme for outstanding tax in the ratio of undisputed and disputed taxes.
11. Certain reliefs under the Ease of Doing Business
12. Provisions for modern weapons and technology to end the Maoist activities
13. Special skill development programme to provide employment to the youth in these troubled areas with a provision of Rs 500 crore over the next three years, including Rs 150 crore for 2019-2020.
14. Proposal for constructing a memorial dedicated to the late Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Mumbai and a statue of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak at Maharashtra Bhavan in Delhi.