Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that the Maharashtra Budget 2026 was presented by borrowing loans at a time when the state faces a dire financial situation.
“This budget is like celebrating Diwali by setting off fireworks after borrowing a huge amount through loans. Since the year 2047 has been mentioned repeatedly in the budget, the government must answer whether the announced loan waiver to farmers will be completed by 2047.
“During the election, they promised to waive off farmers’ loans. However, no concrete announcement was made about this promise in the budget. On the contrary, many new conditions and rules have been imposed to become eligible for the loan waiver,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
“Five years ago, our government waived off loans of farmers up to Rs 2 lakh on a time-bound basis. At that time, our government never imposed any conditions or rules. Also, an incentive of Rs 50,000 was announced for farmers who repaid their loans regularly during the COVID period. However, the current government has imposed several conditions on farmers for loan waivers,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
Uddhav Thackeray also raised some questions regarding the ‘Laadki Bahin Yojana’ scheme. “Under this scheme, it was announced to give Rs 2,100 to women, but no clear information about this has been given in the budget.
Referring to the budget provision of huge funds for highway projects in the state, Uddhav Thackeray said, “We can see concrete plans for contractors. However, we don’t see any concrete measures for farmers, workers and common citizens. This is a budget which shows a mirage of development,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
“The state government has announced that it will plant 300 crore trees. However, the government should also clarify where exactly these trees will be planted and on whose land it will be planted. Or are they going to reserve land for this purpose?” Uddhav Thackeray said.
Commenting on the bullet train project, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said, “The government should answer what the common citizen of Mumbai will do if he goes to Ahmedabad. The government has also not provided any clarity on the source of funds for the announced schemes.”