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Mumbai: Former Women and Child Welfare Minister Aditi Tatkare dismissed reports that the Mahayuti govt will re-scrutinise all the applications under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, which was among the key schemes that helped the govt return to power in the state.
“It is not feasible to scrutinise 2.5 crore beneficiaries, and they have also been taking this benefit for the last five months. If any specific complaints arise in the future, the govt could undertake a scrutiny,” said Tatkare.
“There were no complaints of irregularities in the scheme during my tenure. I am not aware if complaints were raised during the model code of conduct,” said Tatkare, who is now an MLA.
So far, 2.3 crore women received stipends under the scheme, which is meant for underprivileged women between the ages of 18 and 65 with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh and who are domiciled in the state. The stipend amounts to Rs 1,500 per month.
The beneficiaries received five stipends worth Rs 7,500 so far.
From the time the scheme was announced, there have been concerns about how the cash-strapped govt will be able to finance the scheme, which was estimated to cost Rs 46,000 crores per year. If the state fulfils the promise in the Mahayuti’s manifesto to raise the stipend from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100, then the cost of the scheme will shoot up.
Soon after taking oath, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that if there were reports of beneficiaries who were outside the parameters of the scheme, then there would be a scrutiny.
“Some complaints have come that benefits have been taken by those who were outside the parameters of the scheme. For instance, when the Krishi Samman Yojana was launched, there were complaints that some wealthy farmers took benefits under the scheme. Then they voluntarily gave up the scheme, and it settled down,” said Fadnavis.
“In the same way, if some of those outside the parameters of the Ladki Bahin scheme received benefits, then there will be a re-scrutiny. But there is no large-scale rethink,” he said. He also said that the issue of raising the stipend to Rs 2,100 per month will be considered in the budget session of the state assembly in March after taking a review of the financial resources of the state.
The Opposition criticised the govt for the scrutiny of applications. “The govt returned to power because of the Ladki Bahin Yojana, but now that the elections are over, they no longer seem to need these women. The topic of Ladki Bahin is over now. Within two days of the govt’s oath-taking, a ‘beloved brother’ received Rs 1,000 crore worth of assets back,” said state Congress Chief Nana Patole.
He was referring to the Prevention of Benami Property Transactions Appellate Tribunal giving Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar clearance for his properties worth Rs 1,000 crore, soon after he took oath.
Mumbai: Former Women and Child Welfare Minister Aditi Tatkare dismissed reports that the Mahayuti govt will re-scrutinise all the applications under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, which was among the key schemes that helped the govt return to power in the state.
“It is not feasible to scrutinise 2.5 crore beneficiaries, and they have also been taking this benefit for the last five months. If any specific complaints arise in the future, the govt could undertake a scrutiny,” said Tatkare.
“There were no complaints of irregularities in the scheme during my tenure. I am not aware if complaints were raised during the model code of conduct,” said Tatkare, who is now an MLA.
So far, 2.3 crore women received stipends under the scheme, which is meant for underprivileged women between the ages of 18 and 65 with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh and who are domiciled in the state. The stipend amounts to Rs 1,500 per month.
The beneficiaries received five stipends worth Rs 7,500 so far.
From the time the scheme was announced, there have been concerns about how the cash-strapped govt will be able to finance the scheme, which was estimated to cost Rs 46,000 crores per year. If the state fulfils the promise in the Mahayuti’s manifesto to raise the stipend from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100, then the cost of the scheme will shoot up.
Soon after taking oath, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that if there were reports of beneficiaries who were outside the parameters of the scheme, then there would be a scrutiny.
“Some complaints have come that benefits have been taken by those who were outside the parameters of the scheme. For instance, when the Krishi Samman Yojana was launched, there were complaints that some wealthy farmers took benefits under the scheme. Then they voluntarily gave up the scheme, and it settled down,” said Fadnavis.
“In the same way, if some of those outside the parameters of the Ladki Bahin scheme received benefits, then there will be a re-scrutiny. But there is no large-scale rethink,” he said. He also said that the issue of raising the stipend to Rs 2,100 per month will be considered in the budget session of the state assembly in March after taking a review of the financial resources of the state.
The Opposition criticised the govt for the scrutiny of applications. “The govt returned to power because of the Ladki Bahin Yojana, but now that the elections are over, they no longer seem to need these women. The topic of Ladki Bahin is over now. Within two days of the govt’s oath-taking, a ‘beloved brother’ received Rs 1,000 crore worth of assets back,” said state Congress Chief Nana Patole.
He was referring to the Prevention of Benami Property Transactions Appellate Tribunal giving Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar clearance for his properties worth Rs 1,000 crore, soon after he took oath.
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