Mumbai, March 11
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar lauded the state budget for focussing on the state ahead financially, and leaving out no one.
Ajit Pawar presented the Rs 7.20 lakh worth of budget in the state assembly on Monday.
Pawar said that maximum funds have been allocated for infrastructure development and that the schemes started in the previous year have also been continued.
"The Budget that we have presented this time is to ensure that Maharashtra goes ahead well financially. We have tried to have as many provisions as possible for development. The schemes we started in the previous tenure - like Ladli Behena and waiving off electricity charges for farmers have continued. We have tried to have maximum funds for infrastructure," Pawar told ANI.
The Deputy CM further said that every section of the society has been included in the budget and the government has increased the funds for the tribals and Scheduled Tribes.
"For the first time in the history of Maharashtra, we have a Budget of Rs 7.20 Lakh Crores. We increased the funds to tribals by 40 per cent. For SC, we increased the funds by 42 per cent. Nobody in Maharashtra - be it women, boys, girls, farmers, labourers has been left out of Budget. There is provisions for everyone," Fadnavis added.
He further added that the budget has been prepared for Maharashtra's next five years and said they prepared a roadmap for five years after people voted them to power in the recently held assembly elections.
"We tried to provide a balanced Budget...Those who have knowledge of Budget will say that this has been presented with an eye on the next 5 years of Maharashtra...Last Budget was before the elections. People provided us a thumping majority in the elections and gave us a 5-year tenure. So, we prepared a roadmap for 5 years," Pawar added.
- ANI