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Maharashtra Budget 2022: Ajit Pawar introduces GST amnesty scheme, incentives for farmers

Presenting the budget, Ajit Pawar said that Maharashtra is headed towards being the first state that will have $1 trillion economy in the country. (File image)Photo : IANSMumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar presented state budget for the year 2022-23 in the Legislative Assembly on Friday. In the third budget of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Pawar presented a revenue deficit budget while announcing an amnesty scheme for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) payees. The duration of the scheme will be from April 1 to September 30 and it is estimated that medium-level dealers will be benefited in almost 2.2 lakh cases due to the scheme, he said. In the budget speech, Pawar said a provision of Rs 1,50,000 crore has been made for the annual plan. As per the budget estimates, revenue receipts would be to the tune of Rs 4,03,427 crore, and revenue expenditure at Rs 4,27,780 crore. Therefore, there would be a revenue deficit of Rs 24,353 crore, he said. Presenting the budget, Pawar said that Maharashtra is headed towards being the first state that will have $1 trillion economy in the country. Pawar also announced various steps for the welfare of farmers in the state budget.Related NewsBulldozer baba’s ‘bulldozer’ worked, says Devendra Fadnavis; takes swipe at Sanjay Raut and Shiv Sena In the third budget of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Pawar proposed to allocate Rs 100 crore for start-ups in the state. He also said that the state government has decided to issue identity cards and ration cards to all transgender across the state. He also proposed to allocate Rs 100 crores for a music school to be established in the name of the late Lata Mangeshkar. From this year, the state government will also present the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj bravery award, Pawar said. Here are the key highlights of Maharashtra Budget 2022-23: > More subsidies for the welfare of farmers> Rs 50,000 incentive for 20 lakh farmers who paid loans on time> Reduction in VAT on CNG from 13.5% to 3%> Rs 7,618 crore for rural development and Rs 1,178 crore for housing in 2022-23> Rs 3,183 crore outlay for the public health and family welfare department> Rs 500 crore allocated for proposed innovation centre in each of the six Revenue circles of the state > Rs 11,000 crore to be spent on health services in the next three years> Rs 1000 crore to be provided in 3 years for a special action plan for soyabean and cotton crops> Rs 11,119 crore for the tribal development department > Rs 20 crore for upgrading the cataract surgeries in the state > Women’s hospital to be set up at Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Kolhapur and each centre will have a capacity of 100 beds > Rs 2,061 crore for the medical education department > Rs 100 crore to be allocated for a music school dedicated to Lata Mangeshkar at Kalina campus of Mumbai University> Issuance of ID cards and ration cards to all transgender in the stateBesides, the Maharashtra government is planning to set up an African Safari Project in Nagpur with an outlay of Rs 100 crore, besides tiger and leopard safaris, Pawar was quoted as saying by news agency IANS.Soon after the budget was presented, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis called it against farmers and Dalits. “This budget is against farmers, Dalits and will not give anything to the common man. We were expecting that like Central government and other states, the state government will give relief to people by decreasing VAT on petrol and diesel, but nothing has been done,” Fadnavis told reporters.

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