Govt mulls spending EGS for development works

The amount of professional tax that the state collects from salaried persons in Maharashtra may no longer be utilised for implementing Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) for the poor and needy.

Of course, the above change is subject to the state government succeeding in getting
a resolution to this effect passed in both the Houses of the state legislature. While the state collects to the tune of Rs1,200 crore as professional tax, it contributes an equal amount and reserves the fund for implementation of EGS.

According to a senior bureaucrat in the finance department, since ongoing EGS works do not require the amount reserved for the same, the government has proposed to reduce the committed fund for this purpose.

The proposal is to transfer entire money to the contingency fund that can be utilised as per the discretion of the chief minister. If that is done, the fund will certainly be used for developmental works or other such works, but not for the EGS.

The Opposition has strongly objected to the proposal and said that the move will sabotage the only assured money to the poor.

Leader of the BJP’s legislative party in the assembly Eknath Khadse said, “We suggest that the proposal be debated in the next select committee meeting. The proposal can be tabled in the  budget session of the state legislature, normally held in March in Mumbai.”