Continuing with the practice set by the previous government, the newly-formed Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray on Monday presented supplementary demands totalling ₹16,120 crore on the first day of the winter session of the State legislature.
The largest chunk of this, ₹5,250 crore, will go to the Relief and Rehabilitation department to be used to compensate farmers who suffered due to floods, and unseasonal rains. A sum of ₹2,784 crore will be allocated to the Public Works Department (PWD).
The supplementary demands are excess amount sought by the government out of budgetary provisions. The previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Devendra Fadnavis had , during its five-year tenure, presented supplementary demands totalling over ₹1.5 lakh crore, inviting criticism from the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), who were then in Opposition. The demands will now be discussed in the Assembly for the next two days before being approved.
The State hast sought ₹4,500 crore for flood-affected areas and ₹750 crore to compensate farmers affected by excess rains. The State government has also demanded a ₹500 crore provision for premium subsidy under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (crop insurance scheme). The scheme was under scanner by the previous Opposition parties for favouring private companies by paying hundreds of crore in the form of premium money.
Mr. Fadnavis, who is now the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, had at a press conference on Sunday asked the MVA government to announce the farm loan waiver. Mr. Thackeray had retorted that he would announce the package at the right time. The supplementary demands are expected to help allocate the funds.
Of the total supplementary demands, ₹525 crore has been sought for people affected by natural calamities, while ₹2,000 crore has been kept for drinking water and sanitation schemes.
Other demands include ₹550 crore for Nagpur-Mumbai super communication expressway which has recently been named after Sena founder Bal Thackeray.
The departments which will get funds from the supplementary grants include Industries (₹1,023 crore), Cooperation, Marketing and Textiles (₹986 crore), Agriculture (₹929 crore), Water resources (₹827 crore), Urban Development Department (₹796 crore), Women and Child Welfare (₹648 crore), Social Justice (₹540 crore), Public Health (₹501 crore), and Home (₹358 crore).
