Mumbai, March 16 (NationPress) Former minister and NCP-SP legislator Jayant Patil expressed significant concerns on Monday regarding the Maharashtra budget, highlighting a substantial drop in non-tax revenue largely attributable to a shortfall in financial support from the Central government.

During a discussion on budgetary proposals in the state Assembly, Patil estimated a looming deficit of approximately Rs 24,361 crore in anticipated central aid.

He voiced apprehension that the lack of specific budget allocations for recently announced projects could lead to the state's total debt escalating to an alarming Rs 15–16 lakh crore.

Furthermore, Patil pointed out what he called discrepancies in road construction costs, alleging significant variations in per-kilometre expenses across different projects.

“Although Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently unveiled road initiatives valued over Rs 1 lakh crore for Maharashtra, a thorough examination of the per-kilometre costs reveals shocking disparities among projects managed by various agencies,” he stated.

He illustrated this with examples such as the Navi Mumbai–Pune Expressway (eight-lane), projected to cost Rs 15,000 crore for 130 km (roughly Rs 115 crore per km), the Nashik–Solapur–Akkalkot corridor at Rs 19,142 crore for 374 km (about Rs 51 crore per km), and the Jan Kalyan Expressway estimated at Rs 36,000 crore for 450 km (around Rs 80 crore per km).

However, Patil insinuated that the cost of projects overseen by the state appeared considerably inflated, raising suspicions of corruption.

“In the Talegaon–Chakan project, the cost stands at Rs 6,499 crore for 25 km, translating to a per-km cost of around Rs 259 crore. Similarly, the Uttan–Virar sea link is estimated at Rs 58,754 crore for 55 km, which is approximately Rs 1,068 crore per km, or about Rs 1.06 crore per metre,” he explained.

“While NHAI projects are cost-efficient and of higher quality, state-operated agencies are providing subpar work at outrageously high costs. This is not merely a scam; it constitutes blatant theft from the public purse. The inconsistencies in these figures are dizzying. This is a clear misappropriation of public funds,” Patil asserted.

He mentioned that should the public benefit from high-quality roads after such expenditures, he would be open to honoring the government.

Nonetheless, he argued that roads built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are both cheaper and of superior quality, contrasting them with often inferior state agency constructions.

Patil urged for the transfer of road construction projects in Maharashtra to the NHAI to conserve thousands of crores of public funds.

Additionally, he highlighted a dual crisis within the energy department, citing power arrears and allegations of a possible multi-crore scam.

“More than 1,800 cooperative water supply societies are grappling with a collective electricity debt of Rs 70–80 crore. Although the government offers free electricity to 1 HP–7.5 HP agricultural pumps, these cooperative societies are excluded from such benefits,” he added.

With a tariff increase of Rs 5.16 per unit set for April 1, 2025, there is rising demand to include these societies in the “Krishi Sanjivani Yojana” to assist in clearing their debts.

Moreover, Patil criticized the Chief Minister’s “dream project” aimed at generating 16,000 MW of solar energy for agricultural feeders, which has come under scrutiny.

“Former Leader of the Opposition in the state council, Ambadas Danve, alleged a Rs 10,000 crore scam, claiming that the four companies awarded contracts submitted fraudulent bank guarantees. Mahavitaran needs to probe into this matter, and the government should provide a comprehensive report promptly,” he stated.