Maharashtra Budget 2015- Salient Features

SAILENT FEATURERS OF THE BUDGET SPEECH OF HON. FINANCE MINISTER SHRI SUDHIR MUNGANTIWAR ON WEDNESDAY, 18^TH MARCH 2015

Part 1

Main Thrust Areas :

Emphasis on dry land farming, accelerated development of infrastructure, removal of disparity, development of urban areas and generation of employment opportunities for youth.
Stringent measures to enhance revenue collection and ensuring effective capital expenditure.
Two digit economic growth with focus on agriculture, trade and industry, infrastructure development and financial discipline.
Government resolve to take agriculture growth rate to 6%.

Debt Relief from Money Lenders :

Debt relief of Rs. 171 crore benefitting over 2 lakh farmers in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions.

Agriculture :

Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan- Rs. 1000 crore, cement Nala Bunds- Rs.500
crore and Repairs of ex-Malgujari tanks in Vidarbha- Rs. 100 crore.
Ambitious programme of micro irrigation with outlay of Rs.330 crore.
New scheme of ‘Motiramji Lahane Krishi Samruddhi Yojana’ in suicide prone Yavatmal district with emphasis on mechanisation of agriculture and convergence of various agricultural schemes.
State Employment Guarantee Scheme- Rs.700 crore and Mahatma
Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme – Rs. 1948 crore.
Rashtriya Krishi Yojana- Rs. 336 crore and National Food Security Mission and Agricultural Extension and Technology Mission- 257 crore.

Irrigation :

Outlay for irrigation sector- Rs. 7272 crore
Strict implementation of technical and financial management of irrigation projects.

Road Development:

^‘Mukhyamantri Gramin Marg Yojana’ announced for rural roads with outlay of Rs. 300 crore. The outlay to be enhanced to Rs. 1000 crore every year.
Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojana- Rs. 790 crore. An outlay of 71 crore for those works which do not fit into the norms of the scheme.
Outlay of Rs. 3213 crore for road works of 5000 kilometres.
New scheme ‘Aamdar Adarsh Gaon Yojana’ announced.

Power:

Housing for BPL families :

New scheme named ‘Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Gharkul Jaga Khaderi Arthsahayya Yojana’ announced. Financial assistance up to Rs. 50,000 under the scheme to buy land to BPL families for dwelling house.
Target of 1,00,000 dwelling houses under housing schemes with outlay of Rs. 884 crore.

Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan:

Infrastructure

Mumbai Metro Line-3 Project – Rs.109.60 crore, Nagpur Metro Rail Project – Rs. 197.65 crore and Pune Metro Project – Rs. 174.99
Smart Cities – Rs. 268 crore.
Purchase of S. T. buses and repairs of bus depots – Rs. 141 crore.
Railway projects under construction – Rs. 68.60 crore.
Airport Development – Rs. 91 crore.
Land acquisition and rehabilitation of Mihan Project – Rs. 200 crore.

Industry and Tourism :

Cluster Incentive Scheme – Rs. 315 crore.
Subsidy on electricity to power looms – Rs. 1232.53 crore.
Preservation and protection of notified forts – Rs. 50 crore.
Establishment of Maharashtra State Eco-tourism Development Board to develop tourism in the forest and protection of bio-diversity
Development of road side facilities for tourist – Rs. 50 crore.
Development of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Project, Gorewada and Sanjay Gandhi National Park – Rs. 100 crore.
‘Uttamrao Patil Forest Park’ at every district.

Forest:

Maharashtra State Bamboo Development Board to be constituted
New scheme of ‘Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Jana Van Vikas Yojana’ to increase forest cover and forest management through public participation.

Skill Development

New scheme ‘Pramod Mahajan Kaushalya Vikas Yojana’ announced for skill development.
Research and training institute at Sevagram at Vardha to promote rural artisans and handicrafts

Education, Health and Women Development:

Construction of girl’s hostel – Rs. 112.50 crore.
All girl’s hostels in the state will have protection wall in the next three years.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan – Rs.1690.56 crore.
National Health Mission – Rs. 1996.48 crore.
Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Aroya Yojana— Rs. 300 crore.
New scheme of ‘Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar Bajarpeth Yojana’ announced to develop market for products of women self-help groups.

Minorities, Special Assistance and Tribal Development:

Share capital contribution to Maulana Azad Alpasankhyank Vikas Mahamandal – Rs.150 crore.
Special assistance to BPL families – Rs.1451.50 crore.
Special Component Plan for scheduled castes population – 6490 crore.
Tribal Sub Plan – Rs. 5170 crore.

Police and Courts:

Strengthening of Administration:

Independent Evidence Based Photography Monitoring Cell at Mantralaya level.
Scheme to reward officers and staff in Government who come out with innovative ideas on saving expenditure or increasing Government

PART-II

Local Body Tax to be abolished from 1st August 2015. Compensation of Revenue by enhancing VAT tax rate.
Women drawing salary upto to Rs. 10000 per month exempted from Profession Tax .
Tax rate on ladies Hand Bags and Purses reduced from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent.
Work Book, Graph Book, Drawing Book and Laboratory Book for student’s tax free.
Tax rate on LED Bulb reduced from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent.
Tax rate on Guide wire used in medical treatment reduced from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent.
Some medicines for treatment of Cancer tax free.

Reduction of late fee for VAT Return from Rs. 2000 to Rs.1000. Tax concession on essential commodities continued for one more year. No VAT on Service Tax.
Rate of Excise Duty on Country liquor to be at 200 per cent of manufacturing cost or Rs. 120 per proof liter, whichever is higher.
Mobilisation of Revenue by enhanced premimum on additional FSI. Entry Tax on import of Long Steel in State.
Tax rate on Plain & Pre-laminated Particle Board enhanced from 5 per cent to 12.5 per cent.