Maharashtra Budget promises sops for farmers, women

Fadnavis said his budget was based on the goals of ‘panchamrit’, of which Amrut-1 was Sustainable Farming- Prosperous Farmers; Amrut-2 was inclusive development of all sections of society including women, tribals, backward classes, OBCs; Amrut-3 was development of infrastructure with substantial capital investment; Amrut-4 was employment generation, competent, skilled, employable youth; and Amrut-5 was environment-friendly development.

Unveiling the ‘Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi’, Fadnavis said the state would provide ₹6,000 per farmer per year that would run on the lines of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sanman Nidhi Yojana where the Centre pays ₹6,000 to the farmers annually. He said this would benefit 1.15 crore farmer families as they would get a total of ₹12,000 per year from the Centre and the state.

The state has also decided to pay the 2% premium of the Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme that was earlier paid by farmers, but would now be paid by the state. In an incentive to paddy farmers, an ‘incentive amount’ of ₹15,000 per hectare was announced for them.

Families of those farmers who have been involved in accidents would now get a grant of up to ₹2 lakh by the state government. The state would also boost organic farming by bringing in 25 lakh hectares under such farming in the next three years.

The state would also set up the ‘Maharashtra Goseva Commission’ for establishing facilities for embryo fertilisation and transplantation to conserve and protect indigenous breeds of cattle. The state will undertake a river-linking project to divert water to Mumbai and other parts of the state.

A scheme called ‘Lek ladki’ has been unveiled to ’empower girls’. Under this scheme, for yellow and orange ration card holder families, a subsidy of ₹5,000 will be given after the birth of a girl child. A sum of ₹4,000 would be given when the girl goes to class 1; ₹6,000 in Class 4; and ₹8,000 when she goes to class 11. After completing 18 years, a cash amount of ₹75,000 will be given to the girl. Women would be given a 50% discount on ticket fares in state transport buses.The amount of scholarship has been increased from ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 for 5th to 7th standard students and from ₹1,500 to ₹7,500 for 8th to 10th standard students.

Honarariums for anganwadi and Asha workers would be increased from ₹3,500 to ₹4,700 and ₹8,325 to ₹10,000 respectively. Women facing distress will now be able to get shelter, legal aid, medical care and counselling in a “Shakti Sadan’. The state plans to build 50 new shakti sadans under this scheme.