Synopsis
On March 26, Ajit Pawar, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, unveiled the Gender and Child Budget Statements for 2025-26, highlighting allocations that promote gender equality and support for children within the state's financial framework.Key Takeaways
- Gender Budget: Rs 64,008 crore allocated.
- Child Budget: Rs 100,605 crore allocated.
- Gender budget reduced from 8.63% to 8.45%.
- Child budget increased from 12.99% to 13.28%.
- GRB aims to close the gender gap in public finance.
Mumbai, March 26 (NationPress) The Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, who also oversees the finance portfolio, introduced a Gender Budget Statement and a Child Budget Statement for the fiscal year 2025-26 during the state Assembly session.
The total planned expenditure amounts to Rs 7,57,576 crore, with the gender budget being allocated Rs 64,008 crore, representing 8.45 percent of the total.
In contrast, the child budget is set at Rs 100,605 crore, accounting for 13.28 percent of the overall expenditure.
The Gender Budget Statement indicates a reduction in allocation, falling to 8.45 percent for 2025-26 from 8.63 percent in the revised budget for 2024-25.
However, the child budget has seen an increase to 13.28 percent in 2025-26 from 12.99 percent in the previous year's revised budget.
Ajit Pawar emphasized that Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) serves as an essential mechanism to bridge the gender gap in public finance, recognizing that economic policies impact all genders.
He described it as a pioneering approach in public finance that aims to integrate and prioritize gender equality and related concerns.
He clarified that GRB does not entail a separate budget for women but promotes the implementation of gender equality and awareness of women's issues throughout the entire budgeting process.
This includes enhancing administrative procedures, setting targets for women's upliftment, conducting gender scrutiny of financial allocations, evaluating their effectiveness, and restructuring funding as necessary.
On March 10, Ajit Pawar also presented the annual budget for 2025-26, projecting a revenue deficit of Rs 45,891 crore and a fiscal deficit of Rs 136,000 crore.
The finance minister anticipates revenue receipts of Rs 560,963 crore against revenue expenditure of Rs 606,855 crore.
He asserted that the government has effectively maintained the fiscal deficit below 3 percent of the gross state domestic product in compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility and Fiscal Management Act.
Moreover, Maharashtra's revenue deficit has consistently remained below 1 percent of the gross state income.
