In this budget, the Maharashtra government has again brought a special amnesty scheme to recover the outstanding tax due before the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST). This Sales Tax Waiver Scheme will benefit 1.80 lakh cases. The businessmen of Maharashtra are praising this initiative of the government but are also expressing displeasure for not getting much priority to the industry.
The office-bearers of the Maharashtra unit of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) say that the sad thing is that the government has neglected the traders in this budget. Traders, like farmers, have been derailed since the Corona period of the last 3 years, so they were sitting with hope from the government, but the government has disappointed the traders, only the amnesty scheme has been implemented in the budget for the pending cases of pre-GST.
The budget said that a special waiver scheme will be run from May 1 to October 31 in respect of tax arrears, interest, penalty or late fee as per various legal provisions before the implementation of GST in Maharashtra. The scheme will be applicable for all dues pending as on May 1, 2027. Presenting the budget proposal, Finance Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that dues of Rs 2 lakh or less (irrespective of any year) would be completely waived as per the statutory mandate. This proposal will benefit small traders in about one lakh cases.
As per the statutory mandate, the dues of traders having Rs 50 lakh or less, will be waived off 80 per cent of the dues if they pay only 20 per cent of the amount. About 80,000 such cases will benefit small and medium traders. Fadnavis said in his budget speech that the Maharashtra Settlement of Arrear of Tax, Interest, Penalty and Late Fee Act-2023 will be applicable from May 1 to October 31 this year. The dues before May 1, 2023 will be included in the scheme.
Shankar Thakkar, General Secretary of CAIT Maharashtra State and National President of All India Edible Oil Traders Federation, said that currently women earning up to Rs 10,000 per month are exempted from professional tax. Now this limit will be increased to Rs 25,000. This will increase the purchasing power of women. This announcement can motivate women to come forward in business and is a good step towards women empowerment. Apart from this, the industry did not get anything in the budget. After seeing the complete budget, it is known that the industry was neglected in this budget.
Expressing strong opposition to this budget, CAIT Mumbai President Dilip Maheshwari said that the businessmen, who are called the economic backbone of the state and the country, did not get any benefit from this budget. We were sitting with a lot of hope from this budget, but the businessmen have only got cheated, so we strongly oppose this budget. Traders will unite and show their strength in the coming elections from this budget and the ruling party may have to bear the brunt of it.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the budget will take Maharashtra to new heights in the country. This is the best budget in the last ten years, which gives justice to poor farmers, women and promotes basic infrastructure of industries and businesses. The budget will remove the hindrance in the progress of the state since the last two and a half years and will definitely pave the way for the state to become a trillion dollar economy. Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said that according to the Panchamrit Sutra, the budget presented is going to ensure the development of the general public and the path of progress of Maharashtra. All sections of farmers, women, youth, employees and industrialists have been taken care of in the budget.
Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that in two words, this budget of Devendra Fadnavis is carrot pudding. When I talked to one or two farmers affected by the unseasonal rains, I came to know that till now no one has gone to them to do the panchnama. The big question is how will the announcements made in the budget be implemented? There is no clarity in the budget regarding how the farmers will get the guaranteed price. Narendra Modi’s name was repeatedly mentioned in the budget today. This budget is an attempt to play with the sentiments of all sections of the society.
State Congress President Nana Patole said that this budget of the Shinde-Fadnavis government is just a rain of announcements. Imagining a one trillion economy at 6.8 per cent growth rate is like daydreaming. The announcements made in the budget will remain only on paper, it is not expected that the farmers will get its benefit. Not a single word was spoken in the budget to compensate the loss of the farmers.
