Maharashtra Finance Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday presented Maha Vikas Aghadi-led Maharashtra government's maiden budget in the Legislative Assembly. The MVA government in Budget 2020-21 proposed Rs 5,000 crore for health sector and allocated Rs 1,300 crore for higher and technical education.
While presenting the budget, Ajit Pawar said that 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 Center's help, we took initiative to help farmers.
The Finance Minister while presenting the budget said that debt on the state in the last five years increased by Rs 2.82 lakh crore and the total debt today has touched Rs 4.33 lakh crore. The MVA government proposed Rs 5,000 crore for total health outlay. Out of this, Rs 2,500 crore has been set aside for medical education. This includes construction of new hospitals, revamp of existing hospitals, medical colleges, and purchase of ambulances, the Finance Minister said. The MVA government allocated Rs 1,300 crore for higher and technical education.
He said that all roads leading up to major markets in every city in Maharashtra will be revamped, and an amount of Rs 1,000 crore has been proposed for this. In 2020-21 budget of Maharashtra, revenue deficit is estimated at Rs 9511 crore, with total revenue receipts Rs 3,47,457 crore while revenue expenditure of Rs 3,56,968 crore. In state's budget, this year MLA Local Area Development (LAD) funds increased from Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore.
On Thursday, Economic Survey 2019-20 was presented in the state Legislature. The Economic Survey that Maharashtra's economy is expected to grow at 5.7 per cent during 2019-20. The agriculture and allied activities in Maharashtra are also expected to grow at 3.1 per cent in 2019-20.
Maharashtra debt is now at Rs 4.71 lakh crore, up from Rs 4.14 lakh crore, it said. Maharashtra was ranked at fifth in per capita income growth after Harayna, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.
After the Economic Survey was presented, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Thursday that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government will reclaim the state's top ranking.
