Maharashtra Governments Assures Continuation of Ladki Bahin Scheme
After the drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, the Ladki Bahin Yojana has helped the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance in the Assembly elections.
Mumbai: Amidst the talks that the MukhyaMantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana might be shut, the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra has assured that the flagship welfare scheme aimed at empowering women, will continue.
Industry and Marathi Language Minister Uday Samant on Friday said that the state government has no plans to discontinue the Ladki Bahin Yojana, but clarified that the verification of beneficiaries will continue. He said that the names of nearly five lakh beneficiaries have been removed owing to ineligibility due to age, possession of the vehicle and excess income.
“The government is actively verifying the eligibility of beneficiaries to ensure that only deserving women receive financial aid. Women above 65 years or having a four-wheeler are not eligible for this scheme. Also, the women covered under this scheme inadvertently, have been excluded and therefore there is a decrease in the number of beneficiaries. There is no intention to stop the Ladki Bahin Yojana,” Samant said.
His statement comes a day after Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, at the Shiv Sena rally in Nanded, announced that the Ladki Bahin Yojana will not be closed.
“Ladki Bahin Yojana will continue without any interruption,” Shinde said in Nanded. “Those who attempted to block your Rs 1,500 assistance weren’t just defeated—they were rejected outright by the people. Our sisters gave them a strong reply through their votes,” he added.
There are reports that the scheme is putting strain on the state exchequer and it might be shut. Opposition leaders have alleged that the government may eventually phase out the scheme under the pretext of verification.
The Ladki Bahin Yojana was launched in the run-up to the Vidhan Sabha polls when Shinde was the chief minister. Under this scheme, eligible women receive a monthly aid of Rs 1,500, which has benefited approximately 2.46 crore women from July to January.
After the drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, the Ladki Bahin Yojana has helped the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance in the Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare confirmed that the government had received complaints regarding fraudulent beneficiaries and had taken steps to verify applications with the Income Tax Department and Transport Department.
