Amid mismatch between the revenue receipts and expenditure especially during the coronavirus pandemic and slow recovery of economic activities, the Maharashtra Government on Wednesday presented supplementary demands worth Rs 31,298.26 crore.
Of the Rs 31,298.26 crore, the government has earmarked Rs 1,410.81 crore to provide the much-needed relief to the farmers whose crops were damaged by the devastating rains in August and September, Rs 1,330.81 crore for the creation of additional health infrastructure especially to combat the coronavirus pandemic and other diseases, Rs 1,150 crore to the loss-making Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), which is reeling under huge financial crisis because of the COVID-19 induced lockdown and the strike by its employees since last week of October. MSRTC has already incurred a loss of more than Rs 600 crore due to the strike.
Further, the government has allocated Rs 1,000 crore to provide financial assistance to the families of those who died due to COVID-19. They will be provided Rs 50,000 each as per the Centre’s decision following the Supreme Court order.
In a bid to attract domestic and foreign direct investments and thereby provide a package scheme of incentives to small, medium and mega enterprises, the government has earmarked Rs 1,000 crore. Moreover, the government has allocated Rs 1,000 crore to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) Rs 1,000 crore for the payment of compensation towards land acquisition and another Rs 1,000 crore for share capital.
Since the MVA government took over in November 2019, it has tabled supplementary demands worth Rs 16,120 crore in December 2019, Rs 24,273 crore in February 2020, Rs 29,084 crore in September 2020, Rs 21,992 crore in December 2020, Rs 21,076.32 crore in March 2021 and Rs 23,149.75 crore in July 2021. Cumulatively, the state government has presented supplementary demands of Rs 1,66,993.33 crore.
