Maharashtra has earmarked Rs 64,008 crore for gender-focused initiatives in its 2025–26 budget, accounting for 8.45% of the state's total expenditure, Finance Minister Ajit Pawar announced on Wednesday.
Presenting the gender budget in the Assembly, Pawar sought to diffuse concerns over the reduced allocation for the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the state's flagship scheme for women. The initiative's funding has been slashed from Rs 46,000 crore in the July 2024 budget to Rs 6,000 crore in the latest financial plan, drawing criticism from the Opposition.
Pawar clarified that the gender budget is not a separate financial plan for women but an integrated approach within the state's overall budget to promote gender equality. He emphasised that Gender Responsive Budgeting serves as a tool to address gender disparities in public finance and ensures that economic policies benefit all sections of society.
"This innovation in public finance helps to mainstream and prioritise gender equality and related issues," he added.
In addition to the gender budget, Maharashtra has allocated Rs 1,00,605 crore for the child budget, making up 13.28% of the total outlay. The state's overall budget expenditure stands at Rs 7,57,576 crore.
Pawar also presented the state's broader financial outlook, projecting a revenue deficit of Rs 45,891 crore and a fiscal deficit of Rs 1,36,000 crore. The budget estimates revenue receipts of Rs 5,60,963 crore against revenue expenditure of Rs 6,06,855 crore.
He assured that Maharashtra has managed to keep its fiscal deficit below 3% of the Gross State Domestic Product, adhering to Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management norms.
(With inputs from PTI)
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