Mumbai: Maharashtra has demanded an additional allocation of Rs. 5,000 crore in this year’s Union Budget for augmenting big-ticket infrastructure projects in the State.
The demand for a ‘special provision’ over and above the State’s general share was made by State Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar during the pre-budget meeting of finance ministers of all States with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi on Thursday.
Senior officials told The Hindu that a majority of these funds are to augment construction of infrastructure projects in Mumbai, a Shivaji statue in the Arabian Sea and compensation for farmers who committed suicide.
The amount is likely to be an increase over the additional fund released by the Centre last year in response to a similar demand. However, Mr. Mungantiwar said the State government was within its rights to demand extra funds annually. “This is our right and not a question of whether it is more than the previous year’s. This money is meant for important projects in the State, such as creating affordable housing in Mumbai, in which we have demanded that the Centre increase its share,” he said.
A part of the funds will also be used to upgrade infrastructure in Naxal-affected areas by constructing more police stations and roads, and to develop the newly-built Gondwana University, Mr. Mungantiwar said.
Senior officials said the State government also wants additional funds to facilitate construction of eco-friendly industrial units in tribal areas. “We have asked for a five-year income tax rebate for such industries from the Centre,” an finance department official who was part of the delegation that met Mr. Jaitley, said.
In the 2014-15 budget, Maharashtra received R. 1.25 lakh crore for major infrastructure projects and Rs. 24,080 crore for road and rail projects to attract investment and flow of capital. Some big-ticket projects in the city had received a major budgetary boost, including the Rs. 11,000-crore Sewri-Nhava Sheva Trans Harbour Link, the Navi Mumbai International Airport, the 33-km Coastal Road Project and Mono and Metro Rail corridors.
