Maharashtra Budget 2022-2023 highlights: New GST amnesty scheme introduced

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday presented a revenue deficit budget while announcing an amnesty scheme for the Goods and Services Tax GST payeesTabling the third budget of the Shiv SenaNCPCongress government in the Legislative Assembly Pawar who holds the finance portfolio said a provision of Rs 150000 crore has been made for the annual planAs per the budget estimates revenue receipts would be to the tune of Rs 403427 crore and revenue expenditure at Rs 427780 croreThere would be thus a revenue deficit of Rs 24353 crore Pawar saidThe tax revenues as per the revised estimate for year 202122 would be Rs 275498 crore This includes revised estimate of Rs 155307 crore on account of GST VAT Central Sales Tax Professional Tax and other important taxesThere would be an amnesty scheme for GST arrears to be called theMaharashtra Settlement of Arrears of Tax Interest Penalty or Late Fee Scheme 2022 the finance minister saidThe duration of the scheme will be from April 1 2022 to September 30 2022 and it is estimated that mediumlevel dealers will be benefited in almost 22 lakh cases due to the schemeUnder this amnesty scheme on payment of lumpsum amount of 20 percent waiver will be granted for remaining 80 percent of arrearsFollowing are the highlights of the state budget1 Agriculture and allied servicesAn incentive grant of Rs 50000 will be given to 20 lakh farmers who repay their loans regularly It is expected to cost Rs 10000 crore on the state exchequerInvestment of Rs 950 crore for computerization of 20761 Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies PACSElectrification of 60000 agricultural pumps to be taken up in 202223Three mobile IVF laboratories one each for Vidarbha Marathwada and the Rest of Maharashtra for increasing productivity of cows and buffaloes of native breed2 HealthLevel1 Trauma Care Units of 50 beds each to be set up at Nanded Amravati Jalna Bhandara Ahmednagar and Satara100bed womenrsquos hospitals to be set up at Hingoli Yavatmal Buldhana Sangli Satara Kolhapur Sindhudurg Wardha Bhandara Jalgaon Ahmednagar Dhule Solapur Ratnagiri Aurangabad and RaigadMobile cancer diagnostic vans to be providedModern lsquoPhacorsquo treatment method to be introduced for cataract surgery at Government HospitalInnovation Hub to be set up at a cost of Rs 500 crore for the creation of employable manpower3 Human ResourcesMobile services to 120000 anganwadi workers and supervisors through E Shakti YojanaIncrease in child care grant from Rs 1125 to Rs 2500Amrut Mahotsav Mahila and Bal Bhavan to be set up in every districtUrban Child Development Centers for severely malnourished children to be set up in urban areasFree sanitary napkin dispensing machines to be set up at Government Hostel for girl students4 Transport FacilitiesProvision of Rs 7500 crore for 10000 km roads under Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak Yojana PhaseIIExtension of Mumbai Metro Line No 3 ColabaBandraSeepz from Cuffe Parade to NavynagarCapital financial assistance for 3000 new environmentfriendly buses and for modernization of 103 bus stands to Maharashtra State Transport CorporationProvision for works of Shirdi Ratnagiri Amravati and Kolhapur Airport new airport at Gadchiroli under consideration5 IndustryUnder evehicle policy by 2025 the share of electric vehicles in vehicle registration to be 10 percent to share of public transport in big cities to be 25 percent 5000 charging facility to be set upRs 6000 crore to be provided for the construction of 5 lakh houses in rural areas under the Prime Ministerrsquos Housing SchemeRs 100 crore to be provided for the improvement of slums outside MumbaiAbout 1 lakh employment opportunities through 30000 selfemployment projects under Chief Minister Employment Generation ProgrammeA new scheme called the Pandita Ramabai Smriti Shatabdi Mahila Udyojak Yojana for 100 per cent interest refund to start selfemployment project for widowed women due to Covid19 to start6 Memorials and Cultural ActivitiesRs 100 crore for the proposed Bharat Ratna Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar International Music College and MuseumRs 100 crore to be provided for the development of Raigad fort and its surroundings Rs 14 crore for six forts Rajgad Torna Shivneri Sudhagad Vijaydurg and Sindhudurg Rs 7 crore for preservation and conservation of Sewri and St George forts in MumbaiChhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj gallantry award scheme to be launched7 TourismEstablishment of districtwise lsquoMahavarsa Societyrsquo for preservation conservation and repair of archaeological monumentsAfrican safari tio start at Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada International Zoo NagpurWater tourism projects proposed at Koyna Jayakwadi and GosikhurdThe tax levied by the Maharashtra Maritime Board on passengers as well as pets vehicles goods etc travelling by ferries and RoRo boats operating on newly launched waterways from January 1 2022 under the jurisdiction of the Maharashtra Maritime Board is being waived for three years8 CorporationsRs 250 crore each allotted for BARTI SARATHI MAHAJYOTI for their schemesEstablishment of a new dedicated backward class commission to ensure representation of other backward classes in local bodiesWITH PTI INPUTS