After the state government’s Ladki Bahin scheme transformed Maharashtra’s political landscape, Mumbai’s newly elected civic body has proposed its own version for women working in the informal sector, The Indian Express has learned.
Three months after taking office, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sent a proposal to the state government seeking approval for ‘Swabhiman Nidhi’, a monthly financial assistance scheme for domestic workers, cooks and other women employed in the unorganised sector. The scheme proposes to provide eligible beneficiaries between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000 per month and could potentially cover up to five lakh women in Mumbai, adding an estimated Rs 75-100 crore to the civic body’s monthly expenditure.
The proposal’s journey is politically significant because it originated as part of the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s manifesto for the January BMC elections but has since received backing from the BJP-led ruling side in the civic body, where the Mahayuti enjoys a majority.
The proposal was formally moved in March by Kishori Pednekar, Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator and Leader of Opposition in the BMC, to Ganesh Khankar, BJP corporator and Leader of the House. Khankar subsequently endorsed the proposal and forwarded it to the BMC Standing Committee chairman Prabhakar Shinde, recommending that the civic administration examine the feasibility of making budgetary provisions for the scheme.
“Domestic helps shoulder the responsibility of supporting their families and providing education to their children despite having modest incomes. Illness, old age and sudden financial emergencies often push them into precarious situations as most of them do not have any form of social security or assistance,” Pednekar wrote in her letter.
In 2024, the state government launched the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, under which eligible women receive a monthly direct benefit transfer of Rs 1,500. According to government data, the scheme currently has around 1.7 crore beneficiaries and costs the state exchequer approximately Rs 2,500 crore every month.
Unlike the Ladki Bahin scheme, the proposed BMC initiative is aimed specifically at women employed in the informal sector, such as domestic workers and cooks, and would not have an upper age limit for eligibility.
The proposal has now been sent to the state government for approval. According to civic officials, if the proposal receives approval, the BMC will conduct a survey through its 26 ward offices to identify and register eligible beneficiaries.
Officials said the final standard operating procedures would be prepared only after the proposal is approved by the state government. However, they indicated that only registered domestic workers would be eligible for the benefit. Since most domestic workers belong to the unorganised sector, officials said the E-Shram database is likely to be used as the primary verification mechanism.
“For those who are not yet registered, enrolment may be made mandatory to avail the scheme. In addition, local ward offices may seek certification from housing societies confirming that the applicant is employed as a domestic worker,” a civic official said on condition of anonymity. Officials added that NGOs and self-help groups working with domestic workers could also be involved in the verification process.
According to estimates from labour department officials and domestic workers’ unions, Mumbai has nearly five lakh domestic workers.
Based on those estimates, civic officials project that implementation of the scheme could cost between Rs 75 crore and Rs 100 crore every month, depending on the number of beneficiaries and the final assistance amount approved. The estimate assumes a substantial share of Mumbai’s domestic workers become eligible and enrol under the scheme.
Officials noted that while the BMC currently supports women’s self-help groups and livelihood initiatives through various departments, this would be the first instance of the civic body facilitating a direct monthly cash-transfer programme for workers in the informal sector.
“Being a municipal corporation, the BMC does not have the authority to independently launch a direct cash assistance programme of this scale. The proposal therefore requires approval from the state government. If approved, the state government will have to provide the funds because the BMC is already burdened with large infrastructure commitments,” a senior civic official said.
Officials added that if the state government directs the BMC to finance the scheme from its own resources, it would further strain the corporation’s finances. According to BMC data, the civic body’s total liability towards ongoing infrastructure projects stands at Rs 2.13 lakh crore, nearly double its reserve corpus of Rs 81,449 crore.
The BMC’s fixed deposits have declined from Rs 91,690 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 81,449 crore in 2026-27. Of the current corpus, Rs 44,826 crore is earmarked towards employee salaries, pensions, allowances and contractor guarantees, while Rs 36,623 crore is committed towards capital expenditure for infrastructure projects.
The BMC's fixed deposits have declined from Rs 91,690 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 81,449 crore in 2026-27. Of the current corpus, Rs 44,826 crore is earmarked towards employee salaries, pensions, allowances and contractor guarantees, while Rs 36,623 crore is committed towards capital expenditure for infrastructure projects.
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