The Shiv Sena-led MVA Government on Monday proposed hikes in the State Excise Duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) on the sale of liquor through which it hoped to mobilise an additional revenue of Rs 1,800, while it announced one per cent concession on the transfer of house or registration of sale deed in the name of a woman or women.
In his first budget presented after the break-out of Covid-19 in Maharashtra in March last year, Deputy Chief minister Ajit Pawar announced three farmer-friendly measures --- zero per cent interest crop loans up to a borrowing limit of Rs 3 lakh, Rs 2000 crore scheme for strengthening Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) and 33 per cent concession on farmers’ electricity bills.
Alluding to additional revenue generation by way of hikes in the State Excise Duty and VAT on liquor, Pawar – who holds the Stare Finance portfolio -- announced the state government’s decision to classify country liquor into two separate categories as branded and non-branded country liquor. The two separate categorisation of branded and non-branded country liquor involved an increase of State Excise Duty to Rs. 220 percent of manufacturing cost or Rs. 187 per proof litre whichever is high on branded country liquor only.
The deputy chief minister said that owing to the State Excise Duty and VAT on liquor, the state government was expected to net an additional revenue of Rs. 800 crore.
Pawar proposed to increase the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) on the sale of liquor as prescribed in Schedule-B of Value Added Tax Act from the existing 60 percent to 65 percent. He also proposed to increase the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) on the sale of liquor as prescribed in Section 41 (5) of Value Added Tax Act from the existing 35 percent to 40 percent.
Pawar said that owing to the VAT, the state government was expected to get additional revenue of Rs 1000 crore.
In a tax concession measure announced on the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Deputy chief minister proposed concession of one per cent in the Stamp Duty on the prevailing rate exclusively to Women, “provided the transfer of house property or registration of sale deed is in the name of woman or women only”.
Pawar said that owing to the proposed tax concession, there would be revenue shortfall of around Rs 1000 Crore to the State Exchequer.
In a couple of several health infrastructure measures announced in the wake of the continuing Covid-19 crisis in the state, Pawar said that a Rs 7500 crore project involving the construction and upgradation of health institutions would be completed in the next four years, while Rs. 5000 crore will be provided by the government in the next 5 years for quality healthØ services in the Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats. Of the total allocation, Rs 800 crore would be spent during the current year.
He also announced a cancer Diagnosis Facility in 150 hospitals and establishment of new Government Medical Colleges at Sindhudurg, Osmanabad, Nashik, Raigad and Satara. H e said that medical colleges would also be set up at Parbhani and Amravati.
Pawar said that 11 leven government nursing schools affiliated to government medical colleges in the state will beØ converted into nursing colleges, while physiotherapy and occupational therapy colleges will be established in all 17 government medical colleges, in a phased manner.
“Post Covid Counseling and Treatment Centers will be set up at every district hospital andØ government medical college in urban areas,” the deputy chief minister said.
Dwelling upon the concession in the pending electricity bills, the Finance Minister said: “33 percent concession has been given to farmers of pending electricity bills and if the farmers pay 50 per cent of the remaining arrears by March 2022, additional 50 per cent of the remaining amount will be waived off. In all, Rs 30,411 crore will be waived off by MVA government which amounts to 66 per cent of the original pending bills of 44.37 lakh farmers”.
Pawar said that to provide electricity connection for agriculture pumps, the state-run MSEDCL would be given a shareØ capital of Rs. 1,500 crore every year
Among other things, the deputy chief minister announced that Mumbai Mumbai Trans-harbour Link project would be developed by September 2022, while a four-lane flyover is to connect Bandra-Worli sea link to MTHL in the next three years.