Even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has hinted that Ladki Bahin Yojana, a direct cash transfer initiative of the Mahayuti Government, will undergo scrutiny to ensure that only eligible candidates get the benefit, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP have asked the government to avoid taking back money from those who do not fit into the norms. "Now that you have on your own given money to the beneficiaries without strictly implementing the norms for the sake of getting votes, you don't have the right to take back the money. The Government should ensure that it does not issue notice and cause harassment to the womenfolk. The Chief Minister's statement indicates the government might launch a witchhunt against the womenfolk," Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut told The Indian Express. Raut said before the elections, the Mahayuti Government went all out to woo the women voters. "They did not verify the documents submitted by the womenfolk to see whether they meet the eligibility criteria. Those women who earned high salary, those salaries were beyond Rs 2.50 lakh annually and those who owned four-wheelers were also given the benefit of Rs 1500 per month. All this was done to get their votes. Now that the Mahayuti Government has come to power by doling out cash, the government should not behave in a selfish manner. It should not only continue the scheme, but should ensure that women are not subjected to any form of scrutiny," he said. Warning of launching an agitation, NCP (S-P) spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said if the Fadnavis Government harrasses women by asking them to return the money or eliminates those already benefitted, it will have to face the ire of Maha Vikas Aghadi. "We will take to the street, we will launch an agitation against the government if subjects womenfolk to any form of harassment in the name of strictly implementing the scheme.They should have done that before, now they can't make the drama of good governance," Tapase said. Tapase said when the direct cash transfer scheme was launched, it was supposed to be for women from the poor families. "But the Mahayuti Government extended it to women even from affluent class. It did not thoroughly verify the documents submitted by women. The government happily approved all the documents with an intention of getting their votes. Now that it has got what it wanted, it has no right to insult the same women who voted it." Tapase said the Mahayuti Government should now keep its word of giving Rs 2100 to women beneficiaries every month. "During the election campaigning, the Mahayuti leaders had been promising that they would increase the monthly assistance from Rs 1500 to Rs 2100. Even their manifesto said the same thing. They tried to influence the voters.Now they should keep their word," he said. At his first press after taking oath as the Chief Minister, Fadnavis had said that the Ladki Bahin Yojana will continue. In the same breath, he said the benefit amount will go up to Rs 2100 per month as promised. He however had hinted that there could be further scrutiny of applications to ensure that only eligible candidates get the benefit of the scheme. NCP MLA Aditi Tatkare who was the Minister for Women and Child Welfare said, "We had selected the beneficiaries after carrying out preliminary scrutiny. If there are any scrutiny, they will be complaint based. But the scrunity will not be on a large-scale.'' BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said, "If we don't hike the monthly stipend as promised Rs 1500 to Rs 2100, then it will be cited as an example in all the future elections in the country. The opposition will claim that we did not keep our word. I am going to write a letter to the Chief Minister in this connection. I will tell him that we should remain firm on our word.I was the chairman of the Manifesto Committee..And that's we will certainly keep our word given to the voters." Under the Ladki Bahin Yojana, so far 2.34 crore women have been benefitted.
