Oppo MLAs Hold Protest Outside M’rashtra Assembly

Opposition MLAs of Maharashtra held a protest outside the state assembly on Monday, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti government has not provided funds for welfare schemes in the state in the budget.

Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Aslam Shaikh said, “There were no discussions on the promises made by the state government during elections in the Budget… But they talked about fish and mutton, that nobody is even forced to buy…”

A day earlier, Maharashtra Finance and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar presented the state budget for the financial year 2025-26.

Presenting the budget, Pawar stated that a total outlay of Rs 36,000 crore had been proposed for the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahini Yojana scheme and further stated that financial benefits were being provided to 2 crore and 53 lakh beneficiary women under the scheme.

“The grant received from this scheme has been used by some women’s groups as seed capital for economic activities, and a special scheme is under consideration to further encourage such groups,” he said.

Pawar further stated that the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and Maharashtra Maritime Board were jointly developing Vadhavan Port in Palghar district, with a total cost of Rs 76,220 crore and 26 percent government participation.

“Vadhavan Port will create an annual cargo handling capacity of about 300 million metric tons. This will be three times the current capacity of Jawaharlal Nehru Port. Cargo transport is expected to start from the new port by 2030. As this port will be included in the top 10 ports in the world in terms of container handling, the state of Maharashtra will emerge as a superpower in maritime communication in the future,” he said.

Additionally, the Deputy CM mentioned that a third airport had been proposed for Mumbai near the Wadhwa port. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train station connected to the Samruddhi highway would be located near this port.

Giving information about the upcoming airport policy in Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar said that the development work of Shirdi Airport, worth Rs 1,367 crore, had been approved, and work was underway.

Shirdi Airport was granted major airport status in 2021, and night landing facilities will also be introduced soon. Furthermore, work on Ratnagiri Airport, worth Rs 147 crore, is in progress.

Along with this, the work for Belora Airport in Amravati has been completed, and passenger services are planned to start from March 31, 2025. Survey and exploration work for a new airport in Gadchiroli is also underway.

Pawar mentioned that necessary funds would be made available for the expansion of Akola Airport.

Giving information about other developments, he said that a grand memorial would be built in Mumbai on the occasion of the birth centenary of the late Prime Minister of India, Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Ajit Pawar said in the budget speech, “For the overall development of the Scheduled Caste communities, schemes such as the Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj Scholarship Scheme, Student Hostels, Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Swadhar Scheme, and Sahitya Ratna Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Urban Settlement Improvement Scheme, among others, are being implemented.”

Many schemes were also being carried out through the Mahatma Phule Backward Classes Development Corporation, Sahitya Ratna Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Development Corporation, and the Sant Rohidas Leather Industries and Leather Workers Development Corporation.

The provision for the Scheduled Caste Deployment Scheme has been increased by 42 percent this year compared to last year, Pawar said. (ANI)