Huge response to Maha govt's Ladki Bahin Yojana, over six lakh register daily

Mumbai, July 24 (IANS) The MahaYuti government is expecting the registration of eligible women under the much-ambitious Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana to cross 2.50 crore by the end of August 31.

As per the latest information available, one crore women have been registered with a daily registration crossing six lakh. The highest record of daily registration so far is 8.13 lakh reported last week. The scheme was launched on July 1 and the government hopes to directly deposit the financial aid of Rs 3,000 for July and August in the bank accounts through DBT of eligible beneficiaries on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on August 19.

The scheme, which was announced by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar in the additional budget for 2024-25 in the run-up to the upcoming Assembly election, aims to make women financially independent and self-reliant. The government proposes to give monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500 (Rs 18,000 annually) to women of the age group of 21 years to 65 years. Those women, whose family income is Rs 2,50,000 annually, are eligible to get the benefits.

Maharashtra Minister of Women and Child Welfare Aditi Tatkare said, "The initial glitches with regard to server errors during registration through an app have been removed. The women are registered independently or through Aganwadi Sevikas and also through Setu Service Centres. The annual outgo for the implementation of the scheme will be Rs 46,000 crore though the initial allocation of Rs 10,000 crore has been made to the Department of Women and Child Welfare. The government is quite bullish over the response from the women as the registration may cross 2.50 crore by the end of August 31 and considering the error of 10 to 15 per cent the eligible women will get aid for July and August together on the occasion of Rakshabandhan."

She added that of the registered women as many as 60 per cent are married while 5 per cent are widows.

She said Unmarried Single Women (If there is only one in the family), married, widowed, divorced, abandoned and destitute will be entitled to take benefit of the scheme. Besides, women from outside Maharashtra after marriage have also been included.

Further, Tatkare said that there have been no complaints relating to demand for money from the government employees and Talathis from the women for registration. Already, two Talathis have been suspended and the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced stern action if irregularities are found during registration and also in the implementation of the scheme.

She said that as registration is picking up through Narishakti Doot App, the government is in the midst of launching a special portal for registration which is expected in a month and a half.

Tatkare strongly defended the launch of Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana refuting the opposition’s charge of election 'jumla'.

"The prevalence of anaemia among women in Maharashtra is more than 50 per cent. Also, according to a labour force survey in the state, the employment percentage of men is 59.10 per cent against 28.70 per cent of women. Considering this fact, the government thought that there was a need to improve the financial and health conditions of women. The government is implementing a slew of schemes for making women financially self-reliant and also to improve their health and nutrition. However, less participation of women in the labour force impacts their financial freedom and therefore the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana has been launched to make the women financially independent," she explained.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at Sanjay.j@ians.in)

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