LoP Devendra Fadnavis says not a single penny reduced from petrol-diesel cess
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Mumbai: Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said that the Budget presented by the state finance minister, Ajit Pawar has not lived up to the expectations of farmers, youth, women and backward class. He said the government has only made a hue and cry in the Budget.Â
Speaking to the media after presenting the budget was presented by Pawar in the legislative assembly, Fadnavis said a big question mark arises by looking at the Budget on whether it is of the entire state or a particular area.
“There is no financial provision made by the government in the Budget to encourage farmers who are repaying their loan regularly”, he said. In actual loan waiver schemes 45 per cent farmers were deprived”, he alleged.
Launching an attack, he said the loan waiver scheme of the Thackeray government has been a farce. No help has been extended to farmers who grow cotton, soybean and cereals, he said.
The announcement made on the power bill is also a farce, he said, adding that if 50 per cent relaxation is given, then it brings down the consumers to 75,000. Therefore, the government should first rectify the bills, but he said they won’t do that.
Fadnavis said the government’s announcement to provide a loan of up to Rs 3 lakh with a zero percent interest rate to 80 per cent of farmers will not prove beneficial. Because he said, the rain-fed farmers never borrow loans in the range of Rs. 50,000/- to Rs. 1,00,000/-. The announcement is mere lip service, he criticised.
There is no announcement of projects which will give thrust to basic infrastructure in the Budget, he said. “Whatever projects are there are all of Central Government”, he claimed.
“Whether the Budget is of the state government of Mumbai municipal corporation?” he asked.
Fadnavis claimed that the trans-harbour link and the Bandra-Versova link was started when BJP was in power. The projects to develop centres of pilgrimage also began when the BJP was in power, he said.
The state government has not reduced cess on petrol and diesel, he said. “The government gets a profit of Rs. 27 on petrol but it has not reduced a single penny in its cess. No step has been taken to give momentum to the wheels of the economy”, he criticised.
He welcomed the decision to increase the fund for the memorial for late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray from Rs.100 crore to Rs. 400 crore.
He said the government has forgotten about the memorial for the architect of the Indian constitution, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar at Indu Mills, a memorial for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a memorial for Annabhau Sathe and expanding the memorial of Lahuji Vastad Salve.
Former state finance Minister, Sudhir Mungantiwar said the Budget presented by Pawar is directionless and meaningless.
“The government has lost the opportunity to make the state grandeur and strong while coming out of the crisis”.
“Minus eight per cent growth rate is a cause of concern for us. Covid-19 has made an adverse impact on the state’s economy. We thought that we will get an answer to it in the Budget but it is like a vehicle without an engine”, Mungantiwar criticised.
The grandeur and strength of Maharashtra were nowhere visible in the Budget. No provision has been made to bring the petrol and diesel prices down and to give momentum to various sectors, he said.
“Power charges were increased on April 1, 2020. There is no mention of whether the government is going to give any relaxation in it”, he questioned.
“They had promised in their manifesto that they will give Rs.10,000 to small farmers annually. Unemployed will be given RS. 5,000 allowance”, he added.
“Today is International Women’s Day. I thought the government would honour the women’s. The Government gave 3 per cent stamp duty relaxation to builders but women have not got similar benefits”, he said.
Taking a dig at government borrowed loans, he claimed that loan to the tune of Rs. 1 lakh 75 thousand crores was borrowed in the last two years. But it has not ushered in development. They have only been able to disburse salary to their employees on time”, he said.
“The government should have helped the service sector, construction and industries sector. The Budget has made no provision for the development of the Vidarbha, Marathwada and Khandesh region. We are worried about these three regions.”, he said.
