Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | 2.5 crore women received five instalments worth Rs 7,500 under Ladki Bahin Yojana: Ajit Pawar

Mumbai: 2.5 crore women have received five months installments totaling Rs 7,500 under the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, according to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

The Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme was announced in this year’s budget and the government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 46,000 crore for the same.

Under the scheme, the government provides Rs 1500 to women per month.

Ajit Pawar also said that after the elections, the government will work on increasing the amount of the benefits.

“The Maha Yuti delivered on our promises; women have already received Rs 7,500 as financial aid,” said Ajit Pawar, who is also the state Finance Minister.

Between the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha polls, the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP dispensation has rolled out the Ladki Bahin Yojana, a cash benefit scheme for women.

"The scheme has empowered the women by making them self-reliant. The scheme has helped beloved sisters stand firmly on their own feet,’ said Ajit Pawar, who is the NCP National President.

Ajit Pawar lashed out at the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi for raising doubts about the scheme. “The opposition is continuously attacking the scheme first on its feasibility, and then on its implementation, and once the scheme was implemented, opposition created a narrative that while the money is coming now, they are saying that the scheme will be discontinued after the elections,” the veteran politician said.

Narrating the personal stories of women, he said women have utilised money to start small businesses to support their families. In another case, one woman used two months' installment along with some of her own savings for buying a sewing machine. He highlighted that such stories are emerging across the state.

Reaffirming his commitment to women empowerment, Ajit Pawar said though many in opposition have claimed of stopping the scheme but "I swear by every rakhi you have tied on my wrist—I will never allow this scheme to be stopped".

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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