Daijiworld Media Network - Nagpur
Nagpur, Dec 10: The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Wednesday saw an intense war of words between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition over alleged corruption and implementation issues in the Ladki Bahin Yojana. The debate centred particularly on claims of misuse of funds and the government’s pending promise to raise the monthly aid for women beneficiaries from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100.
The uproar began after Shiv Sena-UBT MLA Sunil Prabhu moved a calling attention motion, accusing the government of massive irregularities. Prabhu alleged that 12,431 men had fraudulently enrolled in the women-centric scheme, siphoning off Rs 164 crore in public funds.
Congress leader Nana Patole further criticised the government’s oversight, stating that ASHA workers, Anganwadi Sevikas, and Gram Sevaks had been pressured to meet enrolment targets, which he said resulted in large numbers of bogus applications. Patole demanded a clear account of the alleged mismanagement.
Responding to the accusations, Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare outlined the government’s verification efforts, noting that scrutiny of 2.63 crore beneficiaries had begun with the very first government resolution for the scheme. Addressing criticism from NCP-SP MLA Jayant Patil over new e-KYC rules and added conditions, she explained that many women lacked personal bank accounts and had earlier used accounts belonging to male family members—making KYC essential.
Tatkare assured legislators that any case where men received benefits would be thoroughly investigated, with strict action and recovery measures to follow.
A political tussle erupted during the debate when Minister Shambhuraj Desai responded to Jayant Patil’s jibe suggesting that the scheme’s creator, Eknath Shinde, had slipped from “Number 1 to Number 2” in the political hierarchy. Desai retorted that leadership roles within the Mahayuti were dynamic, hinting that Shinde could rise again.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde—who launched the Ladki Bahin Yojana as Chief Minister ahead of the 2024 polls—mounted a strong defence of the scheme. He dismissed opposition claims that the programme was at risk of being scrapped and insisted that women voters were key to the Mahayuti’s electoral victory. Addressing Patole’s demand for the promised hike to Rs 2,100, Shinde said, “We will give the benefit of Rs 2,100 to the Ladki Bahins at the appropriate time.”
The session concluded with the ruling alliance affirming the scheme’s continuation while pledging to address the financial discrepancies raised by the opposition.