In pre-poll Budget, OBCs, Dhangars get special mention

In what it described as an inclusive, progressive and employment-oriented Budget, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led State government ensured special attention to its core vote bank of OBCs and the Dhangar community, with a proposed outlay of ₹1,000 crore to implement 22 schemes for the latter on the lines of those implemented for the tribal community.

Claiming that the government’s top priority is the welfare of weaker sections of society, such as persons with disabilities (Divyang), widows, and divorced and abandoned women, the Budget proposed an increase in the pensions and financial assistance to them under various schemes.

Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said, “It has been decided to make available funds of ₹200 crore to the Maharashtra State Other Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation on the lines of the Annasaheb Patil Financial Development Corporation for the benefit of OBC beneficiaries.”

Hostels, scholarships

An outlay of ₹200 crore has been reserved in 2019-20 to start 18 hostels each for boys and girls from OBC communities. Mr. Mungantiwar also announced a scholarship scheme in the name of Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule for OBC girls studying in Class V to X. “Under this, ₹60 per month will be given as scholarship for Class V to VII students and ₹100 per month for those in higher classes. As many as 2.2 lakh girl students will benefit from this scheme through direct benefit transfer,” the minister said.

Besides, a cash reward of ₹1 lakh and ₹51,000 will be given to OBC students who rank first in the State board Class X and XII examinations respectively.

The government is also wooing the Dhangar community, which was promised the Scheduled Tribe status by the BJP before the 2014 Assembly polls. With the possibility of the community voting against the BJP for not fulfilling the promise, the government has announced a slew of schemes for it.

The announcements include making land available for sheep husbandry, insurance for sheep, a scheme for students deprived of hostel accommodation, admission in renowned English medium schools in the city, and scholarships for foreign education. The government is also planning to construct 10,000 homes for homeless people from the community.

Weaker sections

The Budget has proposed to increase the financial assistance that the elderly, homeless, persons with disabilities and widows currently get under the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Anudan Yojana and Shrawanbal Yojana from ₹600 to ₹1,000. It has also proposed financial assistance of ₹1,100 to widows who have one child and ₹1,200 to those with two children.

The government is expected to incur annual financial burden of ₹1,500 crore for this increase.

It has also proposed a self-employment scheme to support widows, and abandoned and divorced women, for which an outlay of ₹200 crore has been planned.

Department-wise Budget provisions

• Relief  Rehabilitation ₹6,410 crore
• Water Resources Department  ₹12,597 crore
• Soil and Water Conservation Department  ₹3,182 crore
• Public Works Department  ₹16,025 crore
• Urban Development Department  ₹35,791 crore
• IHousing Department  ₹7,197 crore
• Medical Education Department  ₹3,980 crore
• Public Health Department  ₹10,581 crore
• Social Justice and Special Assistance Department  ₹12,303 crore
• VJNT, OBC and SBC department ₹2,814 crore
• Home, Transport, Port, Prison and 
• Excise Department ₹21,706 crore
• ILaw and Judiciary Department  ₹2,745 crore

Monuments galore

The Maharashtra government has proposed construction of several memorials and statues in the State Budget announced on Tuesday, with an eye on the Assembly elections. Separate allocations were also made for the development of pilgrimage spots.

• Memorial proposed for former prime minster Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on the lines of the memorials for Yashwantrao Chavan and Bal Thackeray
•  ₹50 crore allocated for construction of Shiv Shrushti, a memorial on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, at Haveli in Pune. This is separate from the Shivaji Statue coming up in the Arabian Sea
• Statues of Lokmanya Tilak at Maharastra Sadan in New Delhi and revolutionary Khajaji Naik at Dharangaon in Jalgaon
• Memorials for dramatist Macchindra Kambli at Kudal, Shivramraje Bhosle at Sawantwadi, Vir Bhogoji Naik at Nandur, Vir Nagya Katkari at Chirner, and Vir Baburao Shedmakhe at Ghot
• A memorial proposed for 100 brave tribals who took part in a jungle satyagraha in Nashik
• ₹50 crore set aside for development of pilgrimage places such as Kshetra Kapil Dhara, Beed; Sant Sevalal Poharadevi at Washim; and Kunkeshwar and Angnewadi in Konkan
• Allocations made for Jay Malhar Public Gymnasium and Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Memorial Museum

Rupee comes from (Budget 2019-20)

Rupee go for (Budget 2019-20)