Maharashtra funds incorrectly benefited wealthy individuals

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has acknowledged that some individuals who are financially well-off received benefits from the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, a scheme designed to support poor women. He stated that the government plans to make adjustments to ensure that only those in need will receive the funds, but they will not reclaim money from those who already benefited. Pawar, who also handles the finance portfolio, spoke in the state assembly on Monday. He explained that errors occurred in the initial rollout of the scheme. He emphasized the program's intention to help only women from poor families. He assured that the scheme would not be shut down and confirmed that more funds would be allocated to support it. The Deputy CM highlighted a significant increase in the budget for social welfare targeting Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). He stated that about 40% of the increased budget for these groups would be used for the Ladki Bahin scheme. Moreover, there are plans to link the scheme with loan programs to empower women financially. The Mumbai bank has already announced loan options ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 for women who open accounts under this scheme. Pawar defended the government’s financial situation, including a debt of over Rs 9.3 lakh crore and a revenue deficit of around Rs 45,892 crore. He noted that Maharashtra, along with Odisha and Gujarat, manages to stay within fiscal limits. He also mentioned ongoing infrastructure projects, including a potential airport at Wadhawan port.