Maharashtra tables budget for 2017-18 with revenue deficit at Rs 4,511 cr

Announces Rs 396 cr tax proposals, slew of steps to boost agriculture but silent on crop loan waiver

TThe Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Maharashtra presented its annual Budget for 2017-18 on Saturday, projecting a revenue deficit of Rs4,511 crore, up from Rs3,645 crore 

in 2016-17. In his speech, state Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar proposed to raise Rs396 crore through various tax proposals.

The  proposals include increase in value-added tax (VAT) on liquor to 25.93 per cent, from 23.08 per cent, and rise in lottery tax on weekly lotteries to Rs1 lakh from Rs70,000.

The government, despite repeated demand from the BJP’s partner Shiv Sena and Opposition parties, refrained from making any proposal to waive crop loan in