Shinde Promises ₹4,000 Per Month if Women ‘Strengthen Mahayuti’ in Election

Mumbai:Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday appealed to women to bring back his government with greater power so that he can increase the direct cash transfer benefit to them from Rs.1,500 to Rs 4,000 per month. Currently, the state government is providing Rs 1,500 per month to women in the age group of 18 to 65 having annual family income less than Rs 2.50 lakh. The scheme called ‘CM Majhi Ladki Bahin’ (CM My Beloved Sister) has made the opposition nervous, the Maharashtra CM said.

The Shinde government has started implementing ‘CM Majhi Ladki Bahin’ effective from July 1 this year. The government is hoping to cover all eligible women under the scheme before the Assembly elections are announced. It is hoping to gain electoral benefits as a similar scheme had benefited the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh last year.

Mr. Shinde was speaking at a programme about the scheme in Yavatmal along with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. He asked the women in the gathering to strengthen the Mahayuti government so that the monthly cash transfer can be increased up to Rs. 4,000. “Our government will not stop at Rs 1,500,” he said.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Fadnavis said the opposition had accused the government of “buying people” when it launched the scheme. He said that the opposition had claimed that even 10 per cent of women won’t benefit from the scheme, but 1.5 crore women have availed of it.

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said the state government is working towards getting the Shakti Bill, which is with the President for approval, implemented as soon as possible. He urged the Opposition not to link the molestation of two kindergarten girls in a Badlapur school with the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme. “No matter how influential the culprit is. He will not be spared. We are trying to bring the Shakti Law on crime against women. It has now gone for the Presidential assent,” he said.