Govt tables supplementary demands worth `24,723 cr

The Maharashtra government, on Monday, presented supplementary demands worth Rs 24,723 crore in the state legislature. Of this, an amount as high as Rs 15,000 crore has been earmarked for the Maha Vikas Aghadi government's ambitious crop loan waiver scheme, named after leading social activist Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. This is in addition to Rs 10,000 crore approved by the state cabinet last week under the Contingency Fund. The crop loan waiver scheme will cover 35 lakh farmers with loan up to Rs 2 lakh with a cut off date of September 30, 2019.

The supplementary demands were tabled by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who holds the department of planning and finance.In addition to this, the government has earmarked Rs 3,523 crore for revenue and forests, Rs 1470 crore for the Public Works Department (of which Rs 434 crore is for major roads and bridges works), Rs 650 crore towards hybrid annuity, Rs 679 crore for urban development (of which Rs 103 crore is for the Pune Metro in addition to Rs 375 crore for the subordinate debt of the state government), Rs 210 crore for municipal corporations to put basic amenities in place, and Rs 185 crore for municipal councils as a special grant for providing basic amenities.

The government has earmarked for the Industries Department Rs 1,476 crore, of which Rs 1,417 crore is for the concessions given to power looms and agriculture consumers. The government has received Rs 3,431 crore from the National Disaster Relief Fund. The government also tabled a supplementary expenditure of Rs 4204 crore for 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17.

The MVA government in the winter session held in December last year had tabled Rs 16,120 crore as supplementary demands in the state legislature.

Of the Rs 16,120 crore, the government has provided Rs 4,500 crore for compensation to flood-affected farmers, Rs 750 crore to help farmers hit by untimely rains in October, Rs 500 crore for the payment of premium installment by farmers in the Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme and Rs 525 crore for disaster management.

-Sanjay Jog

Of this amount, `15,000 cr alone has been earmarked for the crop loan waiver scheme