On Tuesday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds finance portfolio, presented the interim budget for the state for financial year 2024-25. In his budget speech, Pawar said that nearly one lakh women will be given employment opportunities in the coming year. He also said that 7,000 km of road works will be completed in the financial year. 

On Monday, Ajit Pawar tabled supplementary budgetary demands worth Rs 8,609 crore. These are additional expenses for which funds are required by govt beyond the allocation of last year`s budget.

Pawar, who holds the finance and planning departments, presented supplementary demands of Rs 8,609.17 crore against Rs 55,520.77 crore tabled in the winter session last year.

Of the 8,609.17 crore, supplementary demands worth Rs 5,665.48 crore are for mandatory spending and demands worth Rs 2,943.69 crore are required for various ongoing programmes and schemes.
Despite supplementary demands of Rs 8,609.17 crore, the net burden will be Rs 6,591.45 crore.

As per the supplementary demands note, demands of Rs 2,210 crore were for financial assistance to farmers whose crops were destroyed due to the unseasonal showers, hailstorms and water scarcity.

Meanwhile, demands of Rs 1,438.78 crore were for repayment of outstanding loans of Mumbai Metro Line 3, Nagpur Metro Line and Pune Metro Line.

Maharashtra government has budgeted Rs 1,328 crore for arrears of various allowances provided to judicial officials, Rs 800 crore for providing civic amenities to municipal corporations and councils and nagar panchayats, Rs 485 crore to Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation for employee salaries and Rs 432.85 crore for pension and other retirement benefits of high court judges. Another Rs 251 crore 
has been allocated as transport cess for MSRTC.

During the winter session in December last year, supplementary demands of Rs 55,520.77 crore were tabled in the state legislature and eventually cleared.

The five-day Maharashtra Budget session commenced on Monday and an interim budget for the year 2024-25 will be presented by the state government on Tuesday. The session will be held till March 1, during which Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar will present the interim budget in the election year.

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