Maharashtra Govt Transfers Rs 3,000 in Selected Accounts Under 'Ladki Bahin' on Trial Basis

Mumbai: With just a few days left for the official launch of the Maharashtra government's new "Ladki Bahin Yojana", the Women and Child Development Department on Wednesday said it has succeeded in transferring Rs 3,000 in select bank accounts of beneficiaries on a trial basis covering the first two months.

Under the "Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana", underprivileged women aged 21 to 65 years will get Rs 1,500 per month as stipend from the state government. The scheme, announced in the state's June-end budget, will cost Rs 46,000 crore per year to the exchequer and is being launched a few months ahead of the assembly polls which are due in October.

"We have lived up to our words. We had promised that we would transfer Rs 3,000 (two months instalment) to women beneficiaries whose bank account details have been scrutinised," Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told reporters.

Shinde advised women to be wary of people who are criticising the scheme, which has been dubbed as a poll gimmick and financially unviable by opposition parties.

"It is my appeal to women that they should stay away from such stepbrothers who are critical of this scheme. They tried their best to create hurdles in implementation of the scheme. Opposition leaders even went to the Bombay High Court against the scheme. The HC turned down their demand, which was a major setback to our opposition leaders," the CM maintained.

Does the opposition now has any answers? the chief minister asked.

Approximately 1.35 crore women have become eligible to receive Rs 1,500 stipend per month under the scheme, the government said.

The annual family income of beneficiaries has been capped at Rs 2.5 lakh.

"As part of trial run of the scheme, we have transferred the promised amount in select bank accounts of eligible women. This Saturday (August 17, the official launch date), most eligible women will receive their first two instalments under the scheme (total Rs 3,000)," Shinde said.

However, it was not clear how many beneficiaries were covered under the trial run.

Earlier in the day, BJP MLA Ranajagjitsinha Patil from Dharashiv district posted on his X account screenshots of SMS informing beneficiaries about transfer of money in their bank accounts under the scheme.

The ruling party legislator, in his post, said, "Money has started coming in under the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. Eligible women have started receiving the money in their accounts. Those who filed their details after July 31 will get the money in the second stage of the scheme." Meanwhile, Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare said, "Approximately 1.35 crore women have become eligible to receive Rs 1,500 per month. Most of them are set to receive Rs 3,000 in their bank accounts on August 17." The government has organized an event for the official launch of the scheme on August 17, two days ahead of the Rakshabandhan festival.

Tatkare held a review meeting on Wednesday with officials from departments concerned to discuss the ongoing registration and scrutiny of forms submitted online and offline by women.

She said previously the government had set August 31 as the registration deadline for the scheme, but it has now been extended.

"Consequently, women who meet the eligibility criteria after August 31 will also start receiving Rs 1,500 per month in their bank accounts," the minister added.

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