Maharashtra Budget 2026 Live Updates: Rs 20,000 crore allocated for power bill waiver for farmers with 7.5 HP pumps, Ladki Bahin scheme to continue, says CM

Maharashtra Budget 2026 Live Updates: Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister of Maharashtra, presented the State Budget for 2026–27 on Friday. In a key announcement, he said the government will waive farm loans of up to Rs 2 lakh under the Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar Farmers’ Loan Waiver Scheme. The relief will apply to loans taken by farmers up to September 3, 2025. A day earlier, the state government released the Maharashtra Economic Survey 2025–26, which highlighted a significant gap between proposed investments and the projects that actually materialise, even as the state economy continues to post strong growth. According to the survey, intended investments recorded under the Industrial Entrepreneur Memorandum (IEM) Part A during 2024 (up to August) amounted to Rs 1,16,217 crore. However, projects that moved to the operational stage under IEM Part B were valued at only Rs 27,357 crore, pointing to a large implementation gap. The survey projects that Maharashtra’s real Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) will grow by 7.9% in 2025–26, slightly higher than the projected national GDP growth of 7.4%. In nominal terms, the state’s GSDP is estimated to reach Rs 51,00,597 crore, while real GSDP at 2011–12 constant prices is projected at Rs 28,82,699 crore. The report also noted that Maharashtra continues to be the largest contributor to India’s economy, accounting for nearly 14% of the country’s nominal GDP in 2024–25. At the same time, the survey flagged structural imbalances in the state economy. The services sector remains dominant, contributing 63.1% to Maharashtra’s nominal Gross State Value Added (GSVA) in 2024–25, compared with 25.7% from industry and 11.2% from agriculture. Stay with TOI for all the live updates: