Maha govt budget 'gajar halwa': Uddhav camp slams Fadnavis, says 'announcements aimed to mislead'

The Shiv Sena faction headed by Uddhav Thackeray on Friday dubbed the Maharashtra government's Budget 2023-24 as 'gajar halwa'. Sena said Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who presented the budget in the state Assembly on Thursday, showered assurances but did not show generosity in announcing compensation to farmers who suffered losses due to unseasonal rains earlier this week. Fadnavis, who is also the state Finance Minister, presented the Shinde government's maiden budget, in which it proposed Rs 6,000 assistance to farmers and Re 1 crop insurance scheme while also offering relief in professional tax to working women, a 50 per cent discount on ticket fares for state-run buses to women and a new scheme for girl children. Referring to the announcement of paying Rs 6,000 to farmers under the 'Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi' to supplement the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Samman Nidhi Yojana, the Shiv Sena said the budget did not speak about the compensation to farmers who lost their crop to hailstorm and unseasonal rains. Fadnavis had said in the Assembly that the budget was based on five major goals or 'Panchamrut' – sustainable farming-prosperous farmers; inclusive development of all sections of society, including women, tribals, backward classes and OBCs; development of infrastructure with substantial capital investment; employment generation for competent, skilled and employable youth as well as environment-friendly development.