Facing dissent, Ajit Pawar justifies Ladki Bahin Yojana; Sule says, ‘be transparent’

Slamming the opposition, Pawar said, “The scheme has received overwhelming response. So far, one crore women have filled forms. This has shaken the Opposition which is trying to set a fake narrative. Maharashtra’s womenfolk will not fall prey to this fake narrative, they will remain with us.”

The ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme was presented in the state’s budget for 2024-25. It entails giving Rs 1,500 every month to women from the age of 21 to 65 years of age.

Ajit Pawar said some newspapers and news channels in the state have published news like ‘Finance department opposes Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme’ and ‘Where will the funds for the scheme come from?’. These news reports are outrightly false, baseless and inconsistent with facts, spread with a political motive to create a ‘fake narrative’.

Explaining further, he said, “As Maharashtra’s Dy CM and state Finance and Planning minister, I myself announced the ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme in the 2024-25 supplementary budget. The announcement of this scheme was made in the state’s budget only after obtaining approval from the Finance and Planning Department, the concerned departments, and the state cabinet. The entire amount of ₹35,000 crore required for the remaining nine months of the current financial year has been provisioned in this year’s budget. Therefore, the question of where the money will come from does not arise. A financially sound state like Maharashtra has the capacity to spend such an amount. The state government is prepared to spend to enhance economic independence, self-reliance, nutrition, and overall empowerment of mothers, sisters, and daughters in the state, and to bolster their dignity, honour and self-respect.”

Since the ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme was announced, it has received an overwhelming response across the state. Government machinery, and political, social and voluntary organizations are holding camps in cities and villages to fill out applications.

“While travelling across the state in the past month, we have received an astounding amount of love from beneficiary mothers and sisters in villages. Seeing the success of this scheme, the Opposition might have been agitated, which is why false news is being spread,” he said.

When announcing any new scheme like ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin’, the Finance Department, Pawar said, aims to ensure that the scheme is implemented efficiently. “The department suggests measures to reduce administrative costs and utilise maximum funds for beneficiary groups. The Opposition is misconstruing these suggestions to spread misinformation about the Finance Department and the state government in the media. I am confident that intelligent people of the state and mothers and sisters, who will benefit from such an ambitious scheme for the first time, will not fall for their attempts,” said Pawar.

The Dy CM said there was no reason for anyone, including the Finance Department, to oppose the ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme. On the contrary, the Finance department is committed to providing the required funds for this scheme, he added.

Supriya Sule, stating that it was too early to guess whether the government would be able to sustain the scheme, said, “The Atal Behari Vajpayee government had brought the FRBM Act or Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act. It was a good Act in the larger interest of the state and country, and so we continued it in UPA for 10 years. It was aimed at fiscal management of the state and country’s budget. The fiscal deficit of the state was allowed at three per cent while the Centre’s was allowed at 5 per cent. What is worrying is whether the government of Maharashtra was following the FRBM Act ? Fiscal management is very critical to any growth. You have to manage your budgets well and for long term sustainability. It may give you gains in the short term for the election but will do you in, in the long run.”

Highlighting the Samruddhi Expressway project, Sule said, “The expressway is a good project. The government has given a sovereign guarantee for it. If we don’t make money out of it, what happens to the sovereign guarantee then?”

Sule said, “The government has to show more transparency as to where they are placed financially. The press quoted Ajit Pawar as saying – should he sell land to pay salaries of Asha workers? Is Maharashtra facing a financial crisis? The government has to come clean on this front.”