Maharashtra slips to 11th in per capita income: Prithviraj Chavan questions data

Prithviraj Chavan

Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has said that Maharashtra has come down to 11th position in terms of the per capita income. Speaking in the Lower House of the legislature over the state budget on Thursday, Chavan said the state's 11th position is mentioned in the Central government's Statistics and Programme Implementation Department's website.

"Maharashtra is at number 11, behind states such as Sikkim, Puducherry, Telangana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and others. But the State Economic Survey is misleading as it shows Maharashtra at number 6. The government must clarify," he said. The state's economy is affected because 50 per cent of the population is employed in agriculture and while a shift to services sector and industry is required, no new industries are being set up in the state, Chavan added.

"Revenue from taxes has come down and the real growth rate at constant prices is only 0.4 per cent. How can the state become a USD 1 trillion economy in such a situation?" he asked. He also questioned if the sops announced for women in the state budget were aimed at getting votes in the Assembly elections.

In the budget presented last week, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar announced ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana' to provide financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women.

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