Mumbai, March 10 Senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil claimed on Tuesday that the Maharashtra government's budget falls short on crucial issues such as farm loan waiver, rural development, and social welfare.
Speaking in the state assembly, the MLA accused the ruling Mahayuti dispensation of failing to fulfill promises made to farmers, including a loan waiver.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the finance portfolio, presented a state budget of Rs 7,69,467 crore in the assembly on March 6, and said that Maharashtra will become a $5 trillion economy by 2047.
He announced a loan waiver scheme for farmers, under which crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh until September 30, 2025, will be written off.
Patil said, "While the chief minister had announced a farm loan waiver of up to Rs 5 lakh during the election campaign, only Rs 2 lakh has been waived so far."
He added that many farmers continue to struggle under heavy debt in regions like Vidarbha.
The previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government, in which NCP (SP) was a partner, had initiated a substantial farm loan waiver programme in 2019, he told the House.
Patil also highlighted what he described as a "contradictory approach" by the government – of closing under-populated Marathi medium schools in remote areas to save funds while taking large loans for infrastructure projects.
He also pointed out that Maharashtra's debt had risen sharply from around Rs 4 lakh crore to over Rs 11 lakh crore in recent years.
The budget was not inclusive and focused only on infrastructure. Instead of doubling farmers' income, the state debt was spiraling to over Rs 11 lakh crore, he said.
The legislator said he expected the government to spell out what steps would be taken to meet the challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI).
On economic growth, the NCP (SP) leader claimed that Maharashtra was lagging behind other states.
Citing GST and sectoral growth data, he said that while Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have posted higher growth rates, Maharashtra has slipped from the top position.
Patil also raised concerns about allocations for social welfare, agriculture, and dairy development sectors, arguing that schemes such as the Matsya Sampada Yojana and welfare measures announced for dairy farmers were underfunded in the budget.
He urged the government to address future challenges, including potential employment losses due to technological changes like AI.
"While the government talks about inclusive growth, the budget fails to translate promises into actionable provisions," Patil claimed, stressing that fiscal discipline should not come at the cost of neglecting rural and social sectors.
The debate over the budget is expected to continue over the next few days, with Opposition leaders scrutinising allocations across sectors.