Latest news with #LadkiBahinScheme
Scroll.in
a day ago
- Business
- Scroll.in
Maharashtra contractors warn of state-wide protest if Rs 80,000 crore dues not paid
An association of contractors working with Maharashtra government departments has warned of a state-wide protest if the authorities do not release dues of over Rs 80,000 crore by June 10, CNBC-TV18 reported on Thursday. The Maharashtra Contractors Association, which claims to represent about three lakh members in 35 districts of the state, plans to launch a mass awareness campaign and a large-scale protest if the government does not meet the deadline for payments. 'The government has chosen to remain silent, but we will not,' the association's president Milind Bhosale told CNBC-TV18. 'If needed, we will take this agitation to every corner of Maharashtra.' The association has claimed that payments to the tune of Rs 38,000 crore are pending from the state public works department, Rs 6,500 crore from the rural development department, Rs 12,000 crore from the water conservation and water resources department and Rs 4,217 crore from the urban development department. Bhosale said the association has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against the rural development department, CNBC-TV18 reported. He added that if its demands are not met by June 10, it will file another petition against the public works department. 'We wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis again a couple of days ago,' he told the channel. 'But still, there is no sign of us getting our money.' In February, the contractors had gone on strike for a week to protest the dues. They had alleged that the government had not paid them since July last year, although it was allocating money for initiatives like the Ladki Bahin Scheme for monthly payments to women, The Times of India reported. At the time, Maharashtra Public Works Department Minister Shivendraraje Bhosle said he had asked for Rs 10,000 crore to be released at the earliest for the contractors, according to The Indian Express. 'I have spoken to the chief minister and finance minister,' the minister had told the newspaper. 'Both are positive regarding the demands raised by contractors. The government is positive about our demand of Rs 10,000 crore to be released at the earliest.'
NDTV
2 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
Shiv Sena Ministers Complain To Eknath Shinde Against Ajit Pawar: Sources
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena ministers in the Mahayuti alliance have complained to Eknath Shinde against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, claiming that they are deprived of funds, say sources, signalling things aren't tickety-boo in the Maharashtra alliance. Mr Shinde, the other Deputy Chief Minister, held a conference with his ministers after the State Cabinet meeting at the Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai. In the meeting, Mr Shinde, who was the Chief Minister in the previous government, held discussions with each minister and reviewed the progress of their departments. Sources say many of the Sena ministers have expressed displeasure with Ajit Pawar. The ministers complained that Ajit Pawar, who is also the state Finance Minister, was creating hurdles in their work, said sources. "Ministers said that if he (Ajit Pawar) will not give us money, how will we work? said a source. Mr Shinde advised his ministers to focus on public utility works, to reach out to common people and not to keep the files pending. The ministers unanimously expressed displeasure with Ajit Pawar, saying that everyone should get equal rights in the government, said sources. Eknath Shinde, the sources added, assured his ministers that he will speak to Ajit Pawar and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to find a solution. Earlier, Sanjay Shirsat, Minister of Social Justice Department from Shiv Sena had criticised the state finance ministry for diverting funds of his department to pay installments for Ladki Bahin Scheme. He had termed the fund diversion as illegal and unjust. On Monday, Ajit Pawar admitted to "mistakes" in distributing financial assistance to all women applicants of the Ladki Bahin scheme launched last year, which he said would be rectified through scrutiny to ensure only genuine beneficiaries receive the aid. Under Ladki Bahin Yojana, women from lower-income families in the 21-65 age group get a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Ajit Pawar admits poor scrutiny in Ladki Bahin Scheme
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday admitted that the government had not done any proper scrutiny of the benefactors when the state rolled out the Ladki Bahin Scheme . Even those not eligible for the payouts have got money as there was no proper scrutiny, he said. Faced with a fund crunch , the Maharashtra government has now begun weeding out ineligible beneficiaries. "When we brought out the scheme, there was less time. Everyone knows that the elections (assembly polls) were to be held in two to three months. We could not get the time to do the scrutiny as well as we wanted. Yet, we had appealed to the people that only eligible people should apply. We felt that those who were not eligible would not apply for the scheme. However, some (who are not eligible) have applied for it," said Ajit Pawar on Monday. The Maharashtra Opposition has slammed the state government saying that the Mahayuti government had deliberately not done any due diligence as they wanted women voters to vote enmasse for them.
The Wire
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Says Govt Cannot Hike Payments Under Ladki Bahin Scheme
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Government Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Says Govt Cannot Hike Payments Under Ladki Bahin Scheme The Wire Staff 3 minutes ago Launched in July 2024, the Ladki Bahan Yojana provides Rs. 1,500 per month to women whose annual family income doesn't go beyond Rs. 2.5 lakh. Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. Photos: Official X accounts. New Delhi: Five months after winning the Maharashtra elections largely on the plank of schemes for underprivileged women like the Mukyamatri Maji Ladki Bahin Yojana, the Mahayuti government's social justice minister and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat has said that the state government can't hike the payments under the scheme to Rs. 2,100 from the existing Rs. 1,500 as promised ahead of the assembly polls due to 'financial burden'. As per an Indian Express report, Shirsat said at a press conference in Mumbai on May 5, 'It is a fact that the payout under the Ladki Bahin scheme cannot be increased to Rs 2,100 due to the financial burden on the Finance Department. However, this does not mean that the scheme will be scrapped. It will continue, and the government will fulfil its promise.' Since May 3, this is the second time the Shiv Sena leader from deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde's camp has openly complained about paucity of funds related to this scheme and pointed fingers at the finance ministry led by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar. This past May 3, Shirsat had criticised the state finance department for diverting funds worth Rs. 400 crores approximately from his ministry which was meant for the scheme. He had then told reporters, 'I was not even informed that around Rs 400 crore (410 crores) has been diverted from the Social Justice Department. I came to know about it from the media. If there is no need for the Social Justice Department, then it can very well be closed.' Friction between Shinde and Pawar camps Shirsat, who last month, had opposed the move to divert money from his department, had called it 'high-handedness by the finance department'. Without naming Pawar, he had told reporters that a 'Shakuni' (equivalent to a clever traitor) was involved in taking the decision to divert the funds from his ministry. On May 6 too, the Shiv Sena leader trained guns at the state finance department to express dissatisfaction at lack of funds, 'I currently have outstanding dues of nearly Rs 3,000 crore. I had requested the chief minister about a month ago to consider the needs of my department empathetically and to ensure that the rightful funds are released as per the rules. I have also communicated this in writing and spoken to Ajit Dada as well.' Reacting to Shirsat's comment at the press conference, senior NCP leader and state minister Hasan Mushrif said, 'Where will Ajit dada bring money from? The sky? He is not taking the money home, the money is going (that is being diverted) for the Ladki Bahin scheme. Calling names for a senior leader is not good.' Even during the earlier Udhav Thackeray-led government, when the Shinde camp had rebelled against the party, 'Shinde and his Sena MLAs had claimed that they were frustrated due to Ajit Pawar not giving funds to their ministries,' pointed out the Economic Times. Prior to Shirsat, yet another Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik had also spoken against Pawar-led finance ministry 'for only paying half the salaries of the state transport employees', the ET report underlined. Launched in July 2024, the Ladki Bahan Yojana provides Rs. 1,500 per month to women whose annual family income doesn't go beyond Rs. 2.5 lakh. In the 2024 assembly elections, the Mayayuti alliance had promised to hike the monthly amount to Rs. 2,100 which was being widely looked at as a game changer in those polls. However, in March 2025, when the Mahayuti government led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devender Fadnavis announced its first budget, it stayed silent on the promise. On asked, chief minister Fadnavis had then said that his government 'is working on delivering the increased payouts'. He had then said, 'Funds have been allocated based on previous trends. If we determine that an increase is feasible, we will fulfil our promise.' On May 6, reacting to Shirsat's comment, the NCP leader Mushrif said that it has nothing to do with Shiv Sena but diversion of funds is happening all across departments because the scheme is taking a huge toll on the state's exchequer. As per an August 2024 news report, the state government, which had begun receiving applications for the scheme from July 4 2024 onwards, had found 1.3 crore applicants from the 1.4 crore received to be eligible for the scheme. 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