Maharashtra: Financial stress shows, funds for ‘populist’ schemes delayed

Between July and October past year, 6,424 elder citizens participated successful 9 tours to Ayodhya’s Shriram Temple nether the Teerth Darshan Yojana. But aft the elections, lone 1 trip, with 800 beneficiaries from Nagpur, went to Gaya, Bihar. There are 13 much tours planned to Ayodhya, and 1 to Puri, Odisha; these person been held backmost for now.

“We are focusing connected cutting expenses arsenic overmuch arsenic possible. Several decisions were made up of the elections, and this is 1 of them. We are reviewing the programme and whitethorn enactment it connected clasp for a while,” a elder Finance Department authoritative told The Indian Express.

The hold is connected relationship of the Finance Department’s inability to merchandise a Rs 25-crore tranche to facilitate 13 pilgrimages to the Ram temple successful Ayodhya.

When contacted, Om Prakash Bakoria, the state’s Social Welfare Commissioner, overseeing the pilgrimage program, denied finances were an issue. “The ongoing Mahakumbh has caused delays successful the 13 trips to Ayodhya. We volition finalise the dates erstwhile the Mahakumbh concludes.” He said plans for the Puri travel were besides underway.

In the run-up to the Assembly elections, the authorities authorities rolled retired a bid of schemes, including the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the Annapurna Yojana, escaped nonrecreational acquisition for girls, the Teerth Darshan Yojana, and a powerfulness measure waiver for farmers. Cumulatively, these initiatives are estimated to outgo the authorities exchequer implicit ?1 lakh crore, which the Ladki Bahin Yojana (Rs 1,500 per period to women beneath the poorness line) itself entails payout of Rs 46,000 crore.

These programmes person started exerting unit connected the government’s shortage and indebtedness burden. In the budget for 2024-25, the fiscal shortage was estimated astatine Rs ?1.10 lakh crore. After the announcement of the schemes, including Ladki Bahin, the Finance Department officials said it was estimated to transverse Rs 2 lakh crore.

The Mukhya Mantri Teerth Darshan Yojana, a pilgrimage strategy for elder citizens of each religions, was archetypal announced by erstwhile Chief Minister Eknath Shinde connected June 28, 2024.

Under the scheme, Rs 30,000 is provided to a elder national implicit 60 years with a household income nether Rs 2.5 lakh to sojourn 161 pilgrimage sites successful Maharashtra and 88 crossed India.

In 2024-25, the authorities allocated Rs 30 crore, of which Rs 20 crore has already been spent. The Social Justice Department required an further Rs 25 crore to implicit the pilgrimages planned for the year.

Recently, the authorities precocious decided to onslaught disconnected 5 lakh ineligible women from the Ladki Bahin scheme. Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar has emphasised the request for fiscal discipline. “As Finance Minister, I indispensable marque pugnacious decisions. Last year, immoderate concessions were made owed to the elections, but for the adjacent 5 years, we request to support fiscal discipline,” helium said.