The Maharashtra government has presented its annual budget for the financial year 2025-26 with a total outlay of Rs 7.20 lakh crore. The budget, which includes a revenue deficit of Rs 45,892 crore and a fiscal deficit of Rs 1,36,234 crore, was tabled by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar during the ongoing budget session in Mumbai.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis highlighted the significance of this financial exercise, noting that Maharashtra, with a population of 12 crore, stands alongside Uttar Pradesh as the only state to propose such a large-scale budget. He emphasized that the allocation reflects the state’s commitment to economic growth and development.
Agriculture and AI Integration
A significant portion of the budget has been earmarked for the agriculture sector, with a strong focus on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance productivity and sustainability. According to Ajit Pawar, the state government aims to integrate AI-driven solutions to provide crop planning advice, optimize resource utilization, and reduce production costs for farmers.
“In the first phase, Rs 500 crore has been allocated for AI-driven initiatives in agriculture, benefiting over 50,000 farmers and covering more than one lakh hectares of land,” said Pawar. He further added that Maharashtra‘s agriculture sector witnessed an 8% growth compared to 3% in the previous year, reinforcing the need for technological advancements to sustain this upward trajectory.
Expanding Irrigation Facilities
Recognizing the importance of irrigation in boosting agricultural output, the state government has allocated substantial funds for the expansion of irrigation infrastructure. Among the key projects is the Wainganga-Nalganaga river linking initiative, with an estimated cost of Rs 88,574 crore. This project is expected to bring 3,71,277 hectares of land under irrigation across six districts.
Additionally, Rs 7,500 crore has been sanctioned for the Nar-Par-Grina river linking project, which will facilitate irrigation for 49,516 hectares of farmland. The Daman Ganga-Ekdare-Godavari river linking project, with an estimated cost of Rs 2,300 crore, is set to restore 9,766 hectares of agricultural land by providing 3.55 TMC of water. Furthermore, the government has committed Rs 19,000 crore towards the ambitious Tapi Mahapurandaran irrigation project.
Boosting Power Supply for Agriculture
Ensuring an adequate electricity supply for farmers remains a key priority in the budget. The state government has outlined measures to meet the agricultural sector’s electricity demand, which stands at 16,000 MW. To address this, the government has introduced the CM Solar Agriculture Feeder Scheme 2.0, aimed at promoting solar-powered irrigation.
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The scheme will be implemented across 2,779 electric substations in 27 districts, significantly expanding renewable energy adoption in agriculture. As of January 2024, Maharashtra had already installed 2,90,129 solar-powered agricultural pumps, with approximately 1,000 new installations being completed daily.