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Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar on with Cabinet Minister for Ministry of Education and Ministry of Marathi Deepak Kesarkar arrives to contiguous the State Budget successful the Assembly, astatine Vidhan Bhavan, successful Mumbai. (PTI)
At a clip erstwhile the Maharashtra authorities is reeling nether fiscal strain, it is mulling implicit closing down the Shiv Bhojan thali and Aanandacha Shidha schemes connected which it spent an aggregate of astir Rs 1,300 crore successful the existent fiscal year.
The authorities furniture connected Tuesday discussed the contented and the determination is apt to beryllium taken aft the budget league of the authorities legislature, which is acceptable to beryllium held successful the archetypal week of March. The rethink connected continuation of the strategy comes pursuing the state’s efforts to chopped down expenditure. The authorities fiscal shortage is acceptable to transverse Rs 2 lakh crore — astir 3 per cent of authorities GSDP this year.
Former Food and Civil Supplies Minister and NCP person Chhagan Bhujbal has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis requesting him to not adjacent down the Shiv Bhojan scheme. The strategy was launched during the tenure of Bhujbal erstwhile Uddhav Thackeray was the main minister.
Under the Shiv Bhojan scheme, beneficiaries are provided with a quadrate meal, which contains 2 chapatis, 1 vessel vegetable, 1 vessel dal and 1 vessel atom to the mediocre and needy astatine a subsidised complaint of Rs 10. However, the outgo of a Shiv Bhojan sheet for municipality areas is Rs 50 and for agrarian areas it is Rs 35, and the spread is filled by the authorities subsidy.
As of Wednesday, the full fig of plates distributed crossed the authorities are 1,80,644 portion the apporved bounds is 1,99,995. There are 1,887 progressive eateries portion 2,251 is the full fig of approved eateries. The authorities authorities spends astir Rs 267 crore annually connected this scheme.
Maharashtra’ Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dhananjay Munde was unavailable for remark arsenic helium underwent an oculus country connected Wednesday and has been advised rest. A root successful his section said, “The treatment did instrumentality spot during the furniture meeting. But nary enactment volition beryllium taken until the fund session.”
With the authorities government’s fiscal shortage threatening to transverse Rs 2 lakh crore people arsenic a effect of outgo connected relationship of the CM Majhi Ladki Bahin strategy whereby the authorities pays Rs 1,500 per period to women beneath poorness line, the authorities authorities is readying to instrumentality terrible cost-cutting measures.
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Finance Minister Ajit Pawar has already said that strict decisions volition person to beryllium taken. “As concern minister, I volition person to instrumentality strict decisions arsenic fiscal subject needs to beryllium followed. Last twelvemonth was of elections and truthful immoderate concessions were given. But present for adjacent 5 years, fiscal subject has to beryllium followed,” Pawar had said.
In his missive to Fadnavis connected Wednesday, Bhujbal said, “The strategy is of utmost value to the mediocre and needy. It ensures confirmed repast to them. The expenditure of Rs 267 crore is negligible compared to the benefits of the scheme.”
Aanandacha Shidha strategy was archetypal introduced successful 2022 during Diwali, providing 4 nutrient items astatine a concessional complaint of Rs 100 to families with saffron ration cards. Similar kits were distributed successful 2023 for Gudi Padwa and Dr B R Ambedkar’s commencement day and aboriginal during Ganesh festival and Diwali. In 2024, kits were besides distributed during the consecration ceremonial of the Sri Ram Temple successful Ayodhya and during Ganesh festival. The kit included 1 kilogram each of rava (suji), chana dal and sugar, on with 1 litre of soybean oil. Each time, the outgo of the strategy was Rs 500 crore and the beneficiaries were astir 1.6 crore, connected an average.
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