Maharashtra Speaker limits number of visitors to Vidhan Bhavan to two days per week

Narwekar informed that visitors will be allowed in the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan only on Tuesday and Thursday.

The Speaker announced the order in the Assembly that the decision was taken to avoid crowds inside the premises and to ensure the security of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, other ministers and MLAs.

He also said that visitors will be allowed in limited fixed numbers only.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio in the state, presented the state budget in the Assembly during the ongoing Monsoon Session and announced 'Mukhyanantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' a scheme under which all woman between 21 and 60 years will be given 1500 per month.

The scheme is inspired by Madhya Pradesh's Ladli Behna Yojana of the BJP government.

While presenting the budget, Pawar said, "We are announcing Mukhyanantri Majhi Ladki Bahin (CM My Beloved Sister). Under this, all women will be given Rs 1500 per month. The scheme will be implemented from July 2024."

Further, Ajit Pawar announced, "We will provide Rs 5000 per hectare bonus to all farmers for their crops of cotton and soybean in Maharashtra...We will also give 5 rupees per litre bonus to milk-producing farmers. Govt has increased the monetary help in deaths due to animal attacks, now the next of kin will get Rs 25 lakhs instead of Rs 20 lakhs earlier."

The BJP dipped to nine seats in Maharashtra against 23 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The vote share stood at 26.18 per cent. The Congress, on the other hand, marginally improved its seat share by securing 13 seats in the state.

The Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won seven and one seats, respectively, taking the total tally of the NDA to 17. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackrey) got nine seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar won eight seats. (ANI)