In his joint address to both the Houses of the Maharashtra Legislature on Day 1 of the Budget Session on Monday, Governor Acharya Devvrat began his speech in Marathi. He assured citizens that the government is firmly committed to resolving the long-standing Maharashtra–Karnataka border dispute. The Maharashtra Budget Session will continue till March 25.
The border row is an old and unresolved issue that dates back to when state boundaries in India were reorganised mainly based on language. After the reorganisation, some areas with a large Marathi-speaking population, including Belgaum and its nearby regions, were included in Karnataka.
Maharashtra has been demanding that these areas be merged with it on the grounds that the people in these regions speak Marathi and share cultural ties with the state. Karnataka, however, maintains that the boundaries were decided legally and should not be changed. The issue has remained a sensitive political matter for decades.
Further, appreciating the steps taken by the government in the economic front, he said that Maharashtra is moving steadily towards its goal of becoming a five-trillion-dollar economy by 2047 under the vision of ‘Viksit Maharashtra’. The governor also highlighted the Maharashtra government`s plans to develop Gadchiroli as a steel hub and establish an East Vidarbha steel corridor, expressing confidence in the government’s roadmap for the state’s overall growth.
In his speech, he further referred to the government’s achievements of high investments from Davos, plans for improving road infrastructure, extending Samruddhi Express highway connectivity to Vadhvan Port (Palghar district), and even to East Vidarbha, creating job opportunities, Lakhpati Didi (it is a government programme aimed at helping rural women earn a steady income and become financially independent. Under the scheme, a woman from a Self-Help Group (SHG) whose household earns at least Rs 1 lakh per year. Besides this, the governor also mentioned the preparations for the 2027 Kumbh Mela in Nashik. He highlighted that Maharashtra contributes 13 per cent of India’s total gross domestic product (GDP).
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will present the state budget for 2026–27 on March 6. Fadnavis is currently handling the finance portfolio after the death of former Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, who passed away in a plane crash near Baramati on January 28. The upcoming budget is expected to outline the government’s financial plans and development roadmap for the next year.
