Tax On Fuel Reduced, Aid For Women: Key Takeaways From Maharashtra Budget

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar who also holds the finance portfolio in the state, presented the state budget on Friday in the Maharashtra Assembly during the ongoing Monsoon Session announced 'Mukhyanantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' a scheme under which all women between 21 and 60 years will be given 1500 per month.

The scheme is inspired by Madhya Pradesh's Ladli Behna Yojana of the BJP government.

While presenting the budget Mr Pawar said, "We are announcing Mukhyanantri Majhi Ladki Bahin (CM My Beloved Sister). Under this, all women will be given Rs 1500 per month. The scheme will be implemented from July 2024."

Further, Ajit Pawar announced, "We will provide Rs 5000 per hectare bonus to all farmers for their crops of cotton and soybean in Maharashtra...We will also give 5 rupees per litre bonus to milk-producing farmers even after 1st July 2024. Govt has increased the monetary help in deaths due to animal attacks, now the next of kin will get Rs 25 lakhs instead of 20 Lakhs earlier.

Under CM Anna Chhatra Yojana of the Maharashtra government, Mr Pawar said, "We will give 3 free cylinders every year to all households"

On Tax over diesel and Petrol, Mr Pawar said, "Tax on diesel is being decreased from 24% to 21 % for Mumbai region, effectively 2 rupees per litre less prices of diesel. While petrol being decreased from 26% to 25% which will effectively decrease rates of petrol by 65 Paise per litre.

All religious minorities in Maharashtra will be supported by the Maharashtra government under schemes for poor people. 

The government has already made available a separate category for the third gender to enable them to get benefits from other government schemes. The limit of medical insurance for families is being increased upto 5 lakhs from 1.5 lakhs earlier. Also the number of Empaneled Hospitals Being increased from 1000 to 1900 hospitals."

"The government will provide help for planting bamboo and Rs 175 will be provided for each plantation of Bamboo. To make available free energy to farmers 8 lakh solar pumps will be given to farmers," said Ajit Pawar.

The monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly began on Thursday (June 28) and will go on till July 12. This is the last legislative session before the state assembly polls which will be in the next four months.

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