Packed with new schemes

In maiden budget, MVA government unveils steps to boost employment, promote sports

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in its maiden budget on Friday announced a new ₹450-crore Chief Minister’s Water Conservation Scheme to replace the previous chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s pet project, Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan.

The new scheme aims to rejuvenate 8,000 water conservation projects, create decentralised water reservoirs, increase ground water level and protect irrigation capacity.

While presenting the State budget for 2020-21, Finance Minister Ajit Pawar announced several new schemes to boost infrastructure, employment, transport and rural development. Some of the schemes were those promised in the MVA’s common minimum programme. Mr. Pawar said the government has decided to establish a “chair” at London School of Economics to honour Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, who studied at the institution from 1916 to 1922.

To resolve the problem of unemployment over the next five years, the budget has unveiled the ₹6,000-crore Maharashtra Apprenticeship Scheme “to provide employment and self-employment opportunities and experience to all youths who have passed at least Class X.”

The scheme, which will begin on August 15, encourages establishments to hire apprentices and aims to train 10 lakh educated, unemployed youth in the 21 to 28 age-group to work in new sectors. The government will pay an amount equivalent to 75% of the monthly stipend or ₹5,000, whichever is less, to the private establishment per month for a candidate. For government establishments, 100% stipend will be covered. The Chief Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, which aims to promote employment and self-employment among the youth, was also announced in the budget. Under this ₹130-crore scheme, grants between 15% and 35% will be given to entrepreneurs for implementing self-employment projects. The government expects one lakh industries to be established over five years and generate up to two lakh jobs every year.

₹120-crore scholarship scheme

The government also aims to implement a ₹120-crore scholarship scheme for the foreign education of students from the poorer sections of minority communities. To promote sports, the budget has introduced three new proposals. The grant to build sports complexes has been hiked from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore at the taluka level, from ₹8 crore to ₹25 crore at the district level and from ₹24 crore to ₹50 crore at the divisional level. An international sports university will be set up at Balewadi and an Olympic Bhavan in Pune. The government will also organise a mini Olympic competition to promote sports, including for the disabled.