Gender Audit of Maharashtra Budget Statement, 2010-11

by
Dr. Vibhuti Patel, DIRECTOR, P.G.S. R.
Prof. & HOD, University Department of Economics,
SNDT Women’s University, Smt. Nathibai Thakersey Road, Churchgate,
Mumbai-400020
Phone-26770227®, 22052970 Mobile-9321040048
Email-vibhuti.np@gmail.com

Government of Maharashtra (GoM) has started intensive training of elected representatives

on Gender Budgeting in collaboration with Mahila Rajsatta Andolan (NGO), Yasahda (GO) and
AIILSG (GO). In 2003, the GOM had given detailed Women Component Plan in the Annual
Plan allocation in a Booklet in Marathi about schemes & programmmes that was distributed free
of charge on demand by the state Secretariat, GOM. That practice must be continued.

GoM has increased the gender budget by nearly Rs 200 crore for 2010-11.

The State Government has successfully implemented Maharashtra Agriculture Debt Waiver
and Debt Relief Scheme, 2009. Under this scheme State Government has given benefit of Debt
Waiver and Debt Relief for Rs. 3,507 crore to 30.74 lakh farmers till October, 2009. This scheme
is proposed for further extension for six months beyond December, 2009.

Maharashtra Rural Credit Program: Women borrowed through saving groups hence
borrowed very small sums compared to men. Maybe because of that, the success in raising
incomes significantly was also low. Women seem to control the increased incomes, however
little, that accrued to them. Women were found much more empowered as well.

Under Centrally Sponsored Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, upto December, 2009 3,699
road works of 13,600 kilometers length connecting 5,000 habitations has been completed since
the commencement of the scheme for which expenditure of Rs. 2,956 crore has been incurred.
During 2009-10 a road length of 1,600 kilometer, which is more than the target given by the
Government of India for the period ending December, 2009, has been completed. Women
Component Plan- 30%

Indira Awas Yojana is a centrally sponsored scheme to provide grant-in aid for construction of
houses for Below Poverty Line shelter less families in rural areas. To built long-lasting and
strong houses the State Government has decided to grant additional State share of Rs. 33,500 per
house, taking total cost of each house to Rs. 70,000. The Central Government has fixed a target
of 2, 24,323 houses for the year 2009-10 and has made available provision of Rs. 457 crore. The
State Government has made a provision of Rs. 947 crore for its share. By the end of December,
2009 construction of 82,013 houses with an expenditure of Rs. 428 crore has been completed and
the construction of remaining houses is in progress. The target of 2.50 lakh houses has been fixed
for the year 2010-11 and for this purpose an outlay of Central Government share and the State

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Government at Rs. 656 crore and Rs. 1,065 crore respectively is proposed. Joint titles for men
and women-STRATEGIC GENDER NEEDS

The purpose of Eco- Sustainable Village scheme is to provide basic amenities while maintaining
ecological balance, tree plantation, open defecation free villages, tax recovery, ban on use of
Plastic materials and ranking in Sant Gadgebaba clean village campaign will be the criteria for
selection of the village for providing funds under this scheme. Similarly villages with large
population will be given financial assistance for preparation of Village Development Plan and
for providing quality basic amenities and Gaothan extention in accordance with the approved
plan. Developed villages and prosperous villagers, and eco- balanced village environment will be
the objective of the scheme which will be started from the current year. The scheme will be
initially implemented for 4 years. During the year 2010-11, an outlay of Rs. 200 crore will be
made available for this scheme. Fuel, Fodder

Approval for development of 66 Mega Watersheds, 2 from each district, has been given in the
year 2009-10 with funds under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund under negotiated loan
from NABARAD. Total area of these projects will be 14.49 lakh hectares and the cost is Rs.
1,738 crore. This project will be started during the year 2010-11 and will be completed within
next five years. PRACTICAL GENDER NEEDS

With the financial assistance from World Bank, Jalswarajya Project is being implemented in 26
Districts of Maharashtra. Total 3,017 village panchayats are covered under this project. This
project is demand driven and based on community participation. Total size of this project is Rs.
1,254 crore.

Considering the need of trained nurses in the state and requirement of enhancement in training
facilities, it is proposed to start in phases 6 Auxiliary Nurse Midwife Training Schools and 11
General Nurse Midwife Training Schools. Out of these, schools at Oras, Ratnagiri and Alibaug
will start functioning from this year.

At present Family Courts are functioning in the State at Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and
Nagpur. In the year 2009-10 Family Courts have been set up at Akola and Amravati. The
Government has also given approval to establish new family courts at Nashik, Kolhapur and
Thane.

Dalit Vasti Improvement Scheme: To provide basic needs in the Dalit habitations in the rural
areas, based on criteria of population, a maximum grant of Rs. 5.00 lakh each is sanctioned for
Dalit habitations since 1999. This grant is utilised for carrying out works of link roads,
construction of gutters, water supply, repairs of wells, supply of electricity and construction of
community centres. Now the amount of grant to every Dalit habitations based on population
criteria has been doubled with maximum limit of Rs. 10 lakh.

Gharkul Yojana Government has taken an ambitious decision to implement Housing Scheme
Gharkul Yojana in order to raise the standard of living of people of Scheduled Castes and New
Buddhists. Under this scheme houses will be constructed for 93,500 scheduled caste
beneficiaries in State at a cost of Rs. 905 crore.

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Intercaste Marriage Scheme Maharashtra is a state with progressive thinking and State Policy
has always been to encourage social reforms. As part of this, a financial assistance of Rs. 15,000
was being given by social justice department to the couples under Inter Caste Marriage Scheme.
Considering the response to the Scheme, Government has decided to increase the amount of
financial assistance and now onwards for Inter-caste Marriage; couple will be given Rs. 50,000
as incentive.

A new scheme namely Rajiv Gandhi Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (SABALA) Scheme,
surveyed school dropout girls between the age group of 11 to 14 years and all girls between the
age group of 15 to 18 years will be eligible to get benefits of the supplementary nutrition and
other services. The expenditure on supplementary nutrition of adolescent girls is expected at Rs.
134 crore, of which state will bear 50 per cent expenditure i.e. Rs. 67 crore.

Under Integrated Child Development Scheme 553 projects are sanctioned in the State and
85,606 Anganwadis and 7,343 Mini Anganwadis are functioning. 57,83,427 beneficiaries in the
age group 6 months to 6 years and 9,97,494 lactating mothers and pregnant ladies get benefit in
these Anganwadis. In the financial year 2009-10, Rs. 1,542 crore were provided for this scheme,
of which Rs. 673 crore is being spent on supplementary nutrition. During the financial year
2010-11, for Integrated Child Development Scheme Rs. 2,016 crore amount has been provided,
of this Rs. 1,176 crore will be spent on supplementary nutrition food. Rs. 500 crore will be
provided for construction of anganwadi buildings with the grants available from 13th
Finance Commission and loan assistance from NABARD.

A provision of Rs. 221 crore has been made for the year 2009-10 to implement various welfare
schemes for the overall development of minorities in the State and the full amount is expected
to be spent by March, 2010. For the financial year 2010-11 requisite outlay will be made
available for Maulana Azad Minority Economic Development Corporation.

The Government has taken a decision to amend the provisions of the Payment of Wages Act,
1936 and other acts to make it compulsory for all establishments to pay wages and all other
allowances, by cheque or through bank account to all workers in organized and unorganized
sectors except domestic and agricultural workers and who are in continuous services with wages
of at least Rs. 3,000 per month.

State Government has initiated steps to revise Minimum wages of agricultural workers in the
range of Rs. 100 to Rs. 120 per day. Workers under National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme are also paid wages according to the minimum wages fixed for agricultural workers.

In order to encourage employment opportunities in the rural areas, tax on sales of handmade
laundry soaps manufactured by KVIC units will be exempt from tax.

Social Justice
�Intention to open100 Government hostels for Vimukta-Jati and Nomadic Tribes.
� Under Dalit Vasti Improvement Scheme the amount of grant is doubled.

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 � 93,500 houses to be constructed for Scheduled Castes beneficiaries at the cost of Rs.
905 crore.

Solar Lanterns, Camphor, Dhoop, Kath (catechu), H.D.P.E Fabric Vermi Compost bed, Cotton
seed oil cake - Tax free.

State Transport Corporation - The State Government reimburses the loss to the State Road
Transport Corporation for carrying certain categories of passengers such as students, freedom
fighters etc. at lower fares. This subsidy was at Rs. 300 crore in Budget Estimates 2009-10. This
was enhanced to Rs. 822 crore in Revised Estimates 2009-10 to clear past arrears. It is kept at
Rs. 300 crore in Budget Estimates 2010-11.

Food grain transactions and other related schemes: Subsidy for these was at Rs. 217 crore in
Budget Estimates 2009-10. This has gone up to Rs. 654 crore in Revised Estimates 2009-10 and
is at Rs. 351 crore in Budget Estimates 2010-11.

Gender audit of Scheduled Caste Plan (SCP), Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) and financial allocation of
Ministry of Minority Affairs is urgently required. So far only proclamations are made by the
state governments but except for Kerala, none of the states have implemented WCP in all
development oriented schemes and programmes. For example, in the Union Budget, 2009-10,
there is Need to Emphasize Women’s Component in mega schemes on education, health,
MGNREGS, Bharat Nirman, AIDS Control Progeamme, Skill Development Fund, Animal
Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Programme and funds of Department of Agricultural
Research and Education. These development oriented activities where massive financial
allocation is made need to specify women’s component, at least 30% of the total budgetary
allocation within the overall financial provision. Reservation of seats for girls must be ensured
for Skill Development institutes and Model Schools for which sizable allocation is made in the
budget.