Budget sops not poll gimmicks, in sync with allocations, says Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said that the schemes announced in the Maharashtra budget for women youth and farmers are not election gimmicks reported the PTIAjit Pawar made the statement while slamming the opposition for ridiculing the government over the initiativesAccording to the PTI during the debate on the budget he presented in the legislative assembly last week Ajit Pawar who holds the finance portfolio said that this was his 10th budget and he was well aware that the schemes were in sync with budgetary allocationsMaharashtras economy is in a stable condition said the finance minister Even though debt has increased by 1067 per cent compared to the previous year it is 1835 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product GSDP which is well within the prescribed limit of 25 per cent he said as per the PTIPresenting the last budget of the Eknath Shinde government before the state goes to polls later this year Pawar had announced sops for women youth and farmers and other segments of society that entailed an outlay of more than Rs 80000 croreThe opposition had called it a iquesttorrent of assurancesiquest but said there was no clarity on how money would be raised for the schemes announcedNCP SP Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule had on Thursday targeted the muchpublicised Ladki Bahin scheme saying though good for women it was nothing but a jumla gimmickUnder the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana announced in the budget eligible women will be given Rs 1500 per monthAjit Pawar said that women have welcomed the schemeI am facing criticism from the opposition for the scheme which aims to empower womeniquest said the NCP leader adding that the government is open to improving it We extended the age limit from 60 to 65 years and also relaxed the time for registration Even if women get registered in August they will be eligible for the Ladki Bahin monthly allowance from July he assured the news agency reported on FridayAjit Pawar said additional budgetary provisions will be made in the supplementary demands About 25 crore women will benefit from the Ladki Bahin scheme which would cost the state Rs 46000 crore yearly he saidHe slammed the Congress for promising a monthly dole of Rs 8500 to women before the Lok Sabha pollsPrithviraj Chavan exCM while speaking in the assembly on the budget said Congress would give Rs 8500 per month If that were to be implemented a budgetary allocation of Rs 25 lakh crore would be needediquest Pawar said terming the rival partys promise an election jumlaIn 200304 Ajit Pawar claimed the Congressled government had promised free electricity to farmers before elections and even implemented it for a few monthsAfter the results the decision was withdrawn he saidAjit Pawar said three cooking gas cylinders will be given free per year to 52 lakh families for which Rs 1600 crore will be spentHe reiterated that the objective of making Maharashtra a one trilliondollar economy will be achieved by 2028with PTI inputs