Maharashtra Budget session: Govt to provide employment opportunities to 1 lakh women

Ajit Pawar presented the interim budget 2024-25 on Tuesday/ Sourced Photo

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, presented the interim budget for the state for the financial year 2024-25 on Tuesday. While presenting the interim budget, he said, "I salute the poet Kusumagraja and wish all the Marathi minds on today's Marathi Bhasha Gaurav Din'and present the Interim Budget of the Government of Maharashtra for the year 2024-25 to the House, with your permission."

"The Parliament has approved the vote-on-account for four months in the budget session. It is necessary to make provision for the expenditure of the first four months of the financial year 2024-25 towards the committed expenditure and the implementation of the ongoing schemes of the State Government. I am presenting the proposal of a vote on account through the Interim Budget of the State before this August House. Supplementary budget will be presented in the next session after the Lok Sabha elections, incorporating new items of schemes and committed expenditure," he added.

IN PHOTOS: Finance Minister Ajit Pawar presents Maharashtra budget 2024 in assembly

9 months agoPHOTO GALLERY

In his budget speech, Pawar said that nearly one lakh women will be given employment opportunities in the coming year.

"A new scheme 'Lek Ladki' for empowering girl children was launched on April 1, 2023. The beneficiary girl child will get a total of Rs 1.01 lakh grant in a phased manner till she completes 18 years. It has been decided to start to overcome the problem of malnutrition in urban centres areas, which will help bring the severely malnourished children into the general category," he said.

Ajit Pawar added, "'Chief Minister Women Empowerment Mission' is being implemented in the state; under this campaign, at least 1 lakh women in each district will benefit directly from various government schemes. A scheme has been proposed to provide pink rickshaws to five thousand women in 10 major cities. Meanwhile, 14,000 vacant posts of Anganwadi workers and recruitment helpers in the state have been filled. The process of filling up the remaining posts is underway."

Ajit Pawar, in his speech, said an outlay of Rs 3,107 crore has been proposed under scheme expenditure for the Women and Child Development Department for the year 2024-25.

On day one of the budget session of the state assembly, the government had tabled supplementary demands worth Rs 8,609 crore, including Rs 1,438.78 crore for the repayment of outstanding loans related to Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune metros. Pawar had tabled the supplementary demands after the council.

The government had tabled supplementary demands worth Rs 55,520.77 crore in the winter session last year.