Top News

Otur/Manohar Hingane : Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government today presented the Union Budget for the financial year 2026-27. The attention of onion growers and traders in Otur area, which is the northern subdivision of Junnar taluka, was drawn to this budget. There are mixed reactions from the region, which expects infrastructure and tax breaks for agriculture.

A special package for the agriculture sector has been announced in the budget and funds have been allocated to promote natural farming. Otoor area is mainly known for onion and tomato production. While the continued subsidy on fertilizers has brought some relief to farmers, some farmers say that concrete steps to control diesel prices and rising wages have failed to materialize.

Since Otur is a big market, the business class here was waiting for the income tax relief. The increase in the standard deduction for the middle class and changes in the new tax structure have been welcomed by local employers. However, the retail traders here expressed the opinion that more emphasis should have been placed on improving the supply chain to reduce the prices of essential commodities.
​
As Junnar taluka has been declared as a tourism taluka, special provision has been made in the budget for preservation of historical heritage sites. This can be used to boost tourism to Shivneri Fort and Lenyadri area along with Kapradikeshwar temple in Otur.

progressive farmer

​”Funds have been given to increase the use of modern technology for agriculture, it is good. But for the onion growers of Otur, there needs to be more clarity on the export policy. Only if the rates of fertilizers remain stable will our math work out.” This response has been given by Sitaram Bapu Dumbare and Dnyaneshwar Pansare.

Local traders

Relief in input tax is a welcome thing. This will leave spending money in the hands of the common man, which will directly benefit the local market and trade, responded Nitin Prabhakar Panhale.

Rural Youth/ Students

The provision made for skill development is creating opportunities for the youth in rural areas. However, the industry should have received more concessions for employment generation at the local level, said Samikash Suresh Hingane and Harshada Santosh Bhor.

housewife

It was expected that this budget would bring some concrete control on the prices of gas and edible oil. Seematai Ravindra Gholap (Rohokadi) and Mridula Vikram Hingane have responded that despite the big announcements in the budget, the household budget of a common housewife is still collapsing due to inflation.

Cooperative organization

Decisions taken to strengthen cooperative banks and societies are the backbone of rural economy. Development societies in Otur area are likely to benefit from this, Jalandar Gajanan Pansare has responded.
​
Overall, today’s budget is said to be ‘comprehensive’ by the government, but in rural areas of Otur, it seems to be ‘sometimes soft and sometimes bitter’. The development of rural infrastructure and the emphasis on digital farming can certainly be beneficial in the future.