Maharashtra stipend increase depends on financial situation

Mumbai's Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar, addressed the delay in increasing the Ladki Bahin stipend during a state assembly session on Thursday. He said the hike will happen when the state's finances improve. Maharashtra is under significant financial strain, with projected debts reaching Rs 9.3 crore for 2025-26, the highest ever. The delay is partly due to pre-election commitments, including the Ladki Bahin scheme, which is expected to cost Rs 36,000 crore this year. The Mahayuti alliance had promised to raise the stipend from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100 per month in their election manifesto. Initially, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis indicated that the government would take this proposal into account in the first budget. However, no increase was included in the budget. Aditi Tatkare, the state’s women and child welfare minister, noted that there were no specific promises about when the stipend would be raised and emphasized that the government has five years to fulfill the manifesto commitments. After the budget announcement, Fadnavis stressed the importance of maintaining financial discipline and said the stipend increase would be addressed at a later time.