Maharashtra's Ladki Bahin Scheme Faces Financial Scrutiny but Remains Unchanged

Maharashtra Minister Affirms Continuation of Ladki Bahin Scheme

On Friday, Maharashtra's minister Ganesh Naik announced that the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin scheme, despite imposing financial challenges on various government departments, will continue to operate. This statement was reported by a local news outlet.

Naik emphasized that the government has no plans to retract the scheme, even in light of its fiscal implications, as noted during a session in the Legislative Council.

Initiated in June 2024, this program offers a monthly financial aid of Rs 1,500 to women aged between 21 and 65 from families earning below Rs 2.5 lakh annually.

The Ladki Bahin scheme is believed to have significantly contributed to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance's success in securing 230 out of 288 seats in the Assembly elections held in November 2024.

According to Naik, the government has embraced the Ladki Bahin Yojana, stating that it will persist even if it leads to adverse effects in other sectors.

This remark was made in response to a question from a Congress MLC regarding inadequate road access to Dhangar and Adivasi communities in Kolhapur's forest regions.

The scheme has generated controversy due to its impact on the state's financial health, with monthly reviews revealing multiple cases of ineligible participants.

The state allocates approximately Rs 3,700 crore monthly to support 2.4 crore beneficiaries under this initiative.

In October, Chhagan Bhujbal, a leader from the Nationalist Congress Party, indicated that all government sectors are experiencing budget constraints due to the Ladki Bahin scheme.

A review conducted in July uncovered that over 14,000 men had fraudulently received payments under the scheme for ten months.

The Women and Child Development Department reported that 14,298 men had enrolled by misrepresenting their identities, resulting in a loss of Rs 21.4 crore to the state's finances.

Subsequently, payments to these accounts have been halted.