Maharashtra Budget 2024: Five-Day Legislative Session Begins Today, Govt Tables Supplementary Demands Of INR 8,609 Crore

The State Legislative Assembly session began today (February 26) at 11 a.m. for the Legislative Council and at 12 p.m. for the Legislative Assembly. The session will last five days, with the interim budget presentation set for the second day, February 27.

During this session, opposition parties intend to fight the state government. The meeting allows the opposition to unite against the government’s policies, notably those harming farmers, the Maratha community, and other socioeconomic groups.

They also snubbed a tea meeting hosted by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday, the day before the assembly session. Opposition parties blamed the worsening farmers’ conditions as well as the state’s peace and order situation. 

Vijay Vaddetiwar, the leader of the opposition party, said that the government has criminalised politics. The government fooled farmers and the Maratha community. Nothing has changed for the Vidharba and Marathwada regions. This government has simply served the interests of contractors and scammers. The issue of water scarcity was neglected. The government has instilled fear in the population in order to reap political benefits. As a result, we have chosen not to attend the state government’s tea meeting and thereby avoid participating in sin.

MVA leaders met at the opposition leader’s official mansion in Mumbai. Ambadas Danve, the opposition leader in the Legislative Council, Balasaheb Thorat, the group leader of the Congress in the state Assembly, NCP MLA Anil Deshmukh, Shivsena MLA Sunil Prabhu, Bhai Jagtap of the Congress, Abu Azmi of the Samajwadi Party, and Jayant Patil of the Peasant and Workers Party were also present at the meeting.

The Maharashtra government presented additional demands of INR 8,609 crore on the first day of the state assembly’s Budget session.

State finance minister Ajit Pawar presented the supplementary demands, which are additional monies requested by the government over the financial allocation, to the legislative assembly, followed by the council.

“I table the supplementary demands of INR 8,609.17 crore before the House,” Pawar said in a statement.

The supplementary demand note requested INR 2,210 crore for financial support to farmers who lost crops owing to unseasonal rains, hailstorms, and water scarcity.

In December 2018, the state legislature approved extra demands totaling INR 55,520.77 crore.