Govt prioritises infra development, agriculture to achieve goal of Viksit Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar
Govt prioritises infra development, agriculture to achieve goal of Viksit Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar
Mumbai, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday said the Mahayuti government has prioritised infrastructure development along with agriculture, industries, employment generation and welfare schemes to achieve the goal of "Viksit Maharashtra''.
Replying to a debate in the legislative assembly on the state budget 2025-26, Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, said a political will is needed to dream big and achieve bigger development goals.
The Mahayuti government has the strength and political will, he said.
He said that if the road infrastructure and network are expanded, the productivity of industries grows, farmers bear less expenditure on transportation, fuel is saved, and the economy gets a boost.
Pawar said the artificial intelligence technology will give a fresh lease of life to agriculture in the state and make farmers prosperous.
He further assured that the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme would continue and the money transferred to ineligible beneficiaries would not be taken back.
Pawar said several women have used ₹1,500 as seed capital to start small businesses in the last few months, and many women have given up the Ujjwala LPG scheme benefits after an appeal that it is meant for poor sections of society.
''If such women are empowered, the state economy will benefit,'' he said.
Pawar said some schemes are introduced as per prevailing circumstances, they are reviewed from time to time, and the outdated ones are scrapped.
He said some schemes were stopped after the COVID-19 pandemic, and some programmes were scrapped to avoid duplication as the Central government announced similar ones.
The minister said due to the government's focus on the development of agriculture, the growth rate of the sector rose to 8.7 per cent in 2024-25 compared to 3.3 per cent in 2023-24.
He said the AI technology will provide crop management guidance and increase productivity.
To achieve developmental goals, Pawar said the government has two options — increase revenue and take low-interest loans for development works.
The government doesn't want to burden citizens with taxes, he said, adding that there is a Central government rule on the quantum of loan, and Maharashtra has followed rules.
Maharashtra has always used the loans taken for capital expenditure and increasing investments, and there is an increase in revenue, he said.
According to the RBI's risk analysis report, Maharashtra follows healthy fiscal indicators, Pawar said.
He said in 2024-25, the state's estimated debt is ₹7.82 lakh crore, while in 2025-26, the state gross domestic product is estimated to be ₹49.39 lakh crore, and the debt is likely to be ₹9.32 lakh crore, which is 18.87 per cent of the GDP.
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