
Maharashtra: No number of ST beneficiaries, funds given based on percentage in population
The Women and Child Welfare department informed this to the Tribal Development department. In July, the Tribal Development minister Ashok Uike had sought information about the exact number of ST beneficiaries benefitting from the Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme from the Women and Child Development department following release of Rs 335.70 crore from the ST funds for the fiscal 2025-26.
The department in its reply said, 'The total percentage of Scheduled Tribe community in the total population is 9.35 per cent. The Women and Child Development department did not seek information of caste of the beneficiaries of Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme while filling the application form.'
The reply stated that the amount made available from the budget provisions is based on the percentage of the ST population in the total population.
In May, the state government sanctioned Rs 410.30 crore from the Scheduled Caste Sub plan and Rs 335.70 crore from Scheduled Tribe sub plan for the Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme.
A source from the Women and Child Development department said that no record of caste was collected while filling the application form for the scheme. 'The scrutiny process of the scheme is still underway. We have also sought a response from the Income Tax Department about the number of beneficiaries who pay taxes. Once indentified, names of all those women whose family pay taxes will be deleted,' said the source.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
Mamata Banerjee's migrant assault claim sparks fake video row; Delhi Police, BJP hit back
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused BJP-ruled states of mistreating Bengali-speaking migrant workers, questioning the silence of national commissions on the issue. This comes as Delhi Police refuted Banerjee's claim of assault on Bengali migrants in Delhi, alleging a fabricated video. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee , in Birbhum's Ilambazar on Tuesday, questioned the silence of the various national commissions on the alleged atrocities and harassment unleashed on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in the BJP-ruled states. Meanwhile, major controversy erupted after Delhi police refutes Banerjee's assault claim on Bengali-speaking migrants in Delhi in a video, which was allegedly "fabricated".Kanthi MP Soumendu Adhikari has filed a complaint with the cyber-crime branch of Delhi police against WB CM Mamata Banerjee for spreading a fake Commissioner of Police (East) Abhishek Dhania said in a press conference that the police had taken immediate cognizance of the video shared by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee."The video is baseless and fabricated,' Dhania claimed. 'Upon inquiry, we identified the woman as Sanjanu Parveen. During questioning, she claimed that on the night of July 26, four men in plain clothes posing as police personnel took her and her child to a isolated spot and demanded Rs 25,000. She claimed that she had paid the money," Dhania said. However, the DCP said a detailed investigation was undertaken and CCTV footage was analysed."Following questioning, the woman admitted that her relative, a political worker from Malda district, had asked her to make the video. The video was then circulated locally in Bengal, and it became viral on social media," the officer said. Delhi Police claimed that the footage was deliberately created to defame the Delhi following call by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, around 800 migrant workers have returned to the state, Bengal police sources said. The Chief Minister has given a call to the migrant workers from West Bengal to return to Bengal and assured that her government would provide livelihood opportunities to these migrant workers and a scheme will be formulated.'If the migrants return to Bengal, we will also provide them with free ration and free medical treatment by giving them Swasthya Sathi card. We will also arrange for the admission of their children to the schools,' the Chief Minister claimed that the national commissions send delegations to West Bengal on minor issues like lizard bites, but they remain silent when the Bengali-speaking people are getting harassed in other states or they even killed or water and electricity connections are disconnected at their Chief Minister iterated that the Bengali-speaking migrant workers are being harassed in the BJP-ruled states. 'At least ten detention camps have been set up at Gurugram in Haryana. In Assam, lakhs of people had been sent to detention camps. Now, there is an attempt to bring NRC to West Bengal under the garb of the SIR by the Election Commission of India,' the Chief Minister BJP Leader of Opposition (LoP) in state assembly Suvendu Adhikari said, '"For the last few days, Mamata Banerjee has been spreading canards and misinformation continuously for the last few days. On July 27, she posted that a Bengali speaking woman and a child had been beaten up. The great liar of our state. I would urge Delhi based Bengalis to lodge an FIR against Banerjee," Adhikari said.'You are confusing between infiltrators and migrants. The infiltrators are those who entered from Myanmar to Bangladesh's Coxbazar relief camp and spread in entire India by entering Bengal from Bangladesh and Nepal.' Adhikari directed Kanthi MP Soumendu Adhikari to lodge an FIR in the cyber crime department of Delhi Police.


Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Delhi govt to review 20 years of arbitration cases exceeding Rs 1 crore
The Delhi BJP government has instructed the Public Works Department (PWD), Water and Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) departments to submit records of all arbitration cases involving claims exceeding Rs 1 crore from the past 20 years. This comprehensive audit aims to assess the extent of financial losses arising from legal disputes and bring transparency to how public funds were spent or lost in the last two decades, said officials. This comes a day after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta directed the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) to probe irreugularities in the construction of the Barapullah Phase III corridor and the arbitration case that arose due to delays. Accusing the then AAP government of corruption, Gupta had highlighted that the project, scheduled for completion in October 2017, was repeatedly delayed and eventually ran into arbitration. 'The ruling favoured the contractor with an award of Rs 120 crore. When the payment was withheld, the company approached the High Court, which, in May 2023, ordered the PWD to pay Rs 175 crore, including interest and GST. The sum was subsequently paid during the tenure of then-PWD Minister Atishi,' read a statement from the CM's Office (CMO) issued on Monday. The three departments, which manage roads and drains, have been asked to provide year-wise and award-wise data — including the total number of arbitration cases exceeding Rs 1 crore; cases decided against the government, along with brief descriptions; the amount paid or losses incurred in such cases; and the number of appeals filed before making payments. 'This audit comes amid mounting concerns over repeated legal setbacks in infrastructure and civil works, many of which have resulted in heavy payouts to private contractors,' said officials. Earlier, PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh had announced the removal of arbitration clauses from the department's new contract conditions. This means that any future disputes between the department and contractor will be settled exclusively in court. 'Public funds must be treated as sacred. For years, departments have settled claims through arbitration without exhausting legal options — this won't continue. We are auditing two decades of arbitration history to identify who was responsible and why legal battles were surrendered. Importantly, I have now removed the arbitration clause from PWD contracts. If there's a dispute, let it go to court. No easy money through arbitration anymore,' Singh said. Officials said that this strategic shift is expected to act as a strong deterrent to frivolous claims and force all stakeholders — government and contractors alike — to approach project disputes with more seriousness and legal preparedness. 'With this 20-year review, the Delhi government aims to establish structural reforms in contract enforcement and legal strategy — preventing future financial haemorrhage and reinforcing public trust in governance,' said officials.


The Hindu
24 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Congress, VCK question Stalin's stand that special law to deal with ‘honour' killing is not required
The ruling DMK's allies including the Congress, VCK and CPI-M along with activists working for the uplift of the Scheduled Castes/Tribes have renewed their call for enacting an exclusive legislation to deal with caste-hatred induced murders that are passed off as 'honour' crimes. Against the backdrop of the murder of Kavin Selvaganesh, a young engineer from Tirunelveli working in a leading IT firm, who belonged to the Scheduled Caste, they have questioned Chief Minister M K Stalin's stand in the Assembly contending such a special law was not required. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president, K. Selvaperunthagai, on Tuesday said he does not share the Chief Minister's opinion. 'A separate law against 'honour-related crimes' has to be enacted. The Chief Minister had said in the Assembly that he would use an iron hand to end such murders and there is no need for a separate we don't agree with that opinion. A separate law is in place in few other states. It needs to be passed [in Tamil Nadu]. The laws already in place have not been enough to curtail [such] violence,' he told The Hindu. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, who had positioned himself as the DMK's 'ideological ally' in 'the fight against Sanathana Dharma', in a statement said he was worried to learn of the caste-violence and murders continuing 'unabated' in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts. He underscored his repeated demands to create an intelligence unit within the police force to tackle caste-related crimes have not been heeded to by the State government. 'The Law Commission of India has already create a draft law which has not been passed for several years now,' he said. His party general secretary D. Ravikumar, said the Supreme Court itself in the Shakti Vahini Vs Union Of India case (2018) had batted for such a legislation. 'While directing the Union Government to enact the law, the SC had said what the State Governments should do in the interim. Guidelines were framed and sent to all the Chief Secretaries of the States. SC has given the Law Commission's draft law to the Union Government. Since 2018, we have urged the Union Government to enact a law. State governments have not implemented the SC order. Why?,' he asked. CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam on Tuesday demanded the arrest of the Sub-Inspector parents of the alleged murderer Surjith. 'The continuing spate of violence reiterates the need for a separate law and undercuts the State Government's argument that existing criminal laws are enough to tackle such crimes,' he said. A. Kathir of Evidence, a civil rights organisation, said, 'If existing criminal laws were enough, then why do we need a SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act? Why do we need a separate law against harassment of women? A special law brings attention to crimes against the marginalised. We need a broad law to deal with 'honour' related crimes. If, for instance, a backward caste family murders the young woman in their family instead of the Scheduled Caste youth who she falls in love with, will SC/ST Act apply? What if she is killed for falling in love with another BC man,' he asked.