Maha budget to focus on agri, employment generation: state FM

Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar today said this year's state budget will focus on employment generation and agriculture.
The budget session of Maharashtra Legislature begins tomorrow in Mumbai. The budget for fiscal 2017-18 will be presented on March 18.
"Around 2.60crore people in the state depend on agriculture for source of income. Our focus will now be on agriculture-based employment," Mungantiwar told reporters here.
"The state budget will focus on employment generation, agriculture, irrigation and roads. Besides, there will be no reduction in allocation to irrigation projects in the budget," said the Minister.
He chaired a meeting to decide annual plans for 11 districts in Vidarbha for 2017-18.

The Minister said he has directed the top officials to concentrate on factors like education, health and financial development in east Vidarbha.
Mungantiwar also said, "Octroi in Mumbai will stand abolished after the implementation of GST. However, the Centre will compensate for the loss of Octroi.