Nana Patole accuses Mahayuti govt of betraying women by disqualifying 5 lakh from ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme
Mumbai: State Congress president Nana Patole on Saturday alleged that the ‘Mahayuti’ government has defrauded lakhs of “beloved sisters” by introducing new criteria to the ‘CM Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme. Around five lakh women will be ineligible to receive Rs 1,500 per month because they receive benefits under other schemes or do not fulfill the eligibility criteria.
The Maharashtra government has declared five lakh beneficiaries of the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme as ineligible. However, state women and child development minister Aditi Tatkare said that the money deposited into their bank accounts over the last six months will not be taken back from them.
In a cathing attack on the state government, Mr. Patole said, “Through the Ladki Bahin scheme, the BJP-led Mahayuti government has defrauded millions of women in the state. To secure votes, they promised Rs 1,500 to all sisters and, after coming to power, have now begun cutting off this financial assistance. The government has declared five lakh sisters ineligible, and there is a possibility that several more lakh beneficiaries will also be disqualified. This action of the government amounts to a betrayal of its beloved sisters.”
The Congress leader further stated that the scheme was merely an electoral gimmick to attract the women voters during the Assembly elections. “We repeatedly warned that the BJP-led alliance would reveal its true colors after the elections, and now their so-called ‘brothers’ (Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar) have started treating their beloved sisters like outsiders," he said.
The Mahayuti government launched the scheme in June 2024. Under the scheme, the women in the age group of 18 to 65 years are given Rs 1,500 per month. Before the election, the Mahayuti had promised to increase the amount to Rs 2,100 per month if they are re-elected. “Instead of increasing the amount, the government has now imposed conditions and disqualified many beneficiaries. Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar, and Devendra Fadnavis have deceived millions of women in the state. Criteria are usually set while implementing a scheme, but the Eknath Shinde-led government ignored this to win votes, and now, after gaining power, they are using these criteria to stop payments. This is an unfortunate development,” Mr. Patole said.
Among the five lakh women who have been declared ineligible, 2.30 lakh avail benefits under the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Scheme, 1.10 lakh are above the age of 65 and 1.60 lakh have a four-wheeler owned by a family member or beneficiaries of schemes such as Namo Shetkari scheme. According to the government, a total of 2.46 crore beneficiaries exist under the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme.
