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Mumbai: Liquor and
soft-drinks in Maharashtra will cost more as Deputy Chief Minister
and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar Wednesday raised taxes on these
products and exempted foodgrain while presenting a Rs.121,445 crore
budget for 2011-12 that shows a surplus of Rs.58 crore.
During 2011-12, receipts are expected at Rs.121,503 crore and
expenditure at Rs.121,445 crore, Pawar said, adding the revenue
deficit was proposed to be eliminated during the fiscal and a
marginal surplus of Rs.58 crore was expected during the period.
His maiden "people-friendly" budget speech was marked by non-stop
slogan shouting by opposition members, making him virtually
inaudible throughout the nearly one-and-half hour presentation.
He said that in 2010-11, the state's receipts were Rs.107,159 crore
against Rs.86,910 crore during the previous fiscal, an increase of
23.3 percent.
The receipts had been estimated at Rs.97,043 crore.
In view of the trend of revenue collection during the current year,
revised estimates of revenue receipts were fixed at Rs.107,159 crore.
Revenue expenditure at the beginning of the year was expected to be
around Rs.104,698 crore, but in the revised estimates, it has been
pegged at Rs.112,846 crore.
Pawar also announced a new scheme - Krishi Sanjeevani Yojna-2011 -
for farmers.
"Even after giving heavy concessions in electricity rates,
electricity dues are outstanding with several farmers. By December
2010, the outstandings against electricity bills of farmers was
about Rs.5,900 crore, including the principal amount of Rs.2,910
crore, interest of Rs.2,930 crore and penal interest of Rs.59 crore,"
he said.
Launching KSY, he said that it had been decided to waive off
interest and penalties in respect of those farmers, who pay in full
the outstanding principal amount as of a specified cut-off date.
Over 2.2 million farmers are expected to benefit from this scheme,
he said.
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