Ira Deshpande, Pune
Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister of Maharashtra appreciated the Union Budget 2024 by calling it the ‘Navratna’ budget. He further praised it for being thorough and visionary. Passed on Tuesday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, the budget focused on nine important areas: women, youth, farmers, skill development, employment, infrastructure development, urban development, youth welfare, employment promotion, and the idea of a ‘Developed India’.
CM Shinde further emphasized the importance of the provisions for women, youth, farmers, and the underprivileged in society. He highlighted the allocation of Rs. 1.52 lakh crores for agriculture and allied sectors and the inventiveness of bringing forth a digital public infrastructure to increase productivity in the agricultural sector and aid the farmers. CM Shinde saluted the decision to promote one crore farmers to opt for natural farming and emphasized that Maharashtra was doing the same.
The CM believes the new tax structure will help position Maharashtra as a leader in tax collection, essential for its progress by increasing the number of taxpayers in the state. He further appreciated the relief the new structure brought to the common man and employees.
Considering India as the land of the young, the CM highlighted the significant provisions the budget has for the youth of the nation. The new budget intends to create 5 million additional jobs and provide substantial job opportunities for the state’s youth. In the next five years, opportunities will be created through internships in over 500 leading companies that are set to benefit about a crore youngsters. A new skill development initiative will be training 20 lakh youngsters through state and industry collaborations. The Mudra Yojana, which provides up to Rs 10 lakhs to non-farm, non-corporate small enterprises will further support the youth in expanding their horizons.
The budget also emphasizes on providing incentives for infrastructural development with Maharashtra leading in this category. The state has been allotted Rs. 11 lakh crores for building up its infrastructure. Rs. 26,000 crores have been allotted for the construction and enhancement of the road structures in the state, further improving its connectivity and network. The CM noted the PM Muft Bijli Yojana as another important scheme for the state to aid its promotion of solar energy and promote sustainability.