Ladki Bahin Yojana: Maharashtra Government to Initiate February Payments Tomorrow
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Synopsis
The Maharashtra government will begin payments of Rs 1,500 under the Ladki Bahin Yojana from tomorrow, with plans to verify beneficiaries and potentially reduce the number eligible.
Key Takeaways
- Payments of Rs 1,500 under the Ladki Bahin Yojana will start tomorrow.
- Verification may reduce the number of beneficiaries.
- Department has allocated Rs 3,490 crore for payments.
- Women aged 21-65 with income below Rs 2.5 lakh qualify.
- Government expects to save Rs 945 crore by excluding ineligible beneficiaries.
Mumbai, Feb 20 (NationPress) The Maharashtra government is set to commence the transfer of Rs 1,500 installments starting on Friday for women beneficiaries under the prominent Ladki Bahin Yojana, as confirmed by an official statement on Thursday.
The state’s finance department, led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, has allocated Rs 3,490 crore to the department of women and child development to ensure payments are made directly to the bank accounts of eligible women.
However, sources from the women and child development department have indicated that the total number of beneficiaries is expected to decrease in February due to ongoing verifications.
As of late December, 2.46 crore women were beneficiaries of the scheme.
Nevertheless, five lakh women were deemed ineligible and were removed from the list by January, resulting in a new total of 2.41 crore beneficiaries.
The exact number of women who may be cut from the program in February remains uncertain.
Nonetheless, department sources suggest that an additional four lakh women could be classified as ineligible, leading to their exclusion.
The government, which is working to increase revenue for various welfare projects including the Ladki Bahin Yojana, anticipates saving around Rs 945 crore monthly with the removal of approximately nine lakh ineligible beneficiaries.
The Ladki Bahin Yojana was launched in July before last year’s assembly elections, with a substantial budget allocation of Rs 46,000 crore.
This initiative provides women aged 21-65 with a monthly benefit of Rs 1,500, targeting families with an annual income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh.
However, verification efforts were initiated following complaints regarding the disbursement of Rs 1,500 to women whose incomes exceeded the set threshold, especially those owning four-wheelers and paying income tax.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently suggested that between 10 to 15 lakh women beneficiaries might be removed from the program but assured that funds already disbursed would not be reclaimed.
Fadnavis, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, have affirmed that the Ladki Bahin Yojana will continue.
However, a decision regarding the potential increase of the monthly installment from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100 as promised in the MahaYuti Assembly poll manifesto is still pending.
