Latest news with #VijayWaghmare
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
‘Closure report filed', tribal dept removes 34 firms from blacklist
Mumbai: Eight years after an HC-appointed committee recommended blacklisting 105 companies allegedly involved in providing substandard material for welfare schemes, the state tribal development department revoked the ban against 34 firms earlier this week. According to tribal development principal secretary Vijay Waghmare, govt decided to do this following a recommendation by Tribal Development Research and Training Institute (TRTI) since police had filed a closure report against them. Besides, he said, no recovery was pending against the 34 firms and they had submitted documentary evidence. The five-member committee, headed by former HC judge M G Gaikwad, had visited key tribal development offices across the state and submitted a comprehensive report to HC on Jan 31, 2017, accusing 105 suppliers of irregularities. HC directed the department to take immediate steps to blacklist the firms. Subsequently, the department asked TRTI to examine the panel's report. According to TRTI, all organisations were not involved in irregularities and the record of the 34 firms was quite satisfactory. On the call to drop these firms from the blacklist, Justice Gaikwad told TOI, "We had submitted the report to HC after an in-depth study of all 105 firms, and HC had directed govt to blacklist them. It is up to govt to take a decision." He said the department should list the current status of the criminal cases against officials involved in the corruption. "I am keen to know if govt is following up on the cases lodged against them. "
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ladki Bahin: 2nd tranche of over ₹335 cr diverted from tribal dvpt dept
MUMBAI: After diverting ₹335.70 crore from the state tribal development department in April to infuse life into its flagship scheme -- Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana (MMLBY) – the state government has once again dipped into the department's purse and diverted an equal amount to the state women and child development department, which is running the scheme. An order to this effect was issued by the state tribal development department on Friday. The government had diverted ₹410 crore from the social justice department in May for the scheme. This is yet another indicator of the state's fragile fiscal state. 'Under the tribal component programme (under which various schemes for the community are run), funds worth ₹335.70 crore have been approved for the MMLBY,' stated the government resolution (GR) issued by the state tribal development department. 'Since the fund was released from the tribal component programme, the amount should be used for only the beneficiaries belonging to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community.' While tribal secretary Vijay Waghmare refused to comment on the development, the tribal minister Ashok Uike did not respond to calls and text messages sent by HT. In a video message posted on social media, the minister assured that no tribal scheme will be stalled after funds are diverted for the scheme. 'As concerns are being raised over diversion of funds (for Ladki Bahin yojana), I would like to assure everyone from the tribal community that the funds will not be a problem for the schemes being run by the tribal development department,' he stated. He added that the Mahayuti government is standing behind the tribal community, as is the PM Modi-led central government. 'The state has sanctioned the utilisation of ₹410.30 crore out of the ₹3,960 crore allocated for schemes by the social justice department and ₹335.70 crore of the ₹3,240 crore allocated for the tribal development department for the Ladki Bahin scheme. The diverted funds would be utilised for beneficiaries belonging to the SC and ST socio-economic groups,' the earlier GR had stated. Criticising the move, Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said: 'This shows that the state exchequer is empty and thus is diverting funds from other departments. It also means that the government is implementing the Ladki Bahin yojana but reducing funds of other schemes which are affecting primary and higher education of students, scholarship schemes, hostel expenses among others.' Earlier, the move generated controversy as social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat opposed it, calling it unacceptable. In response, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, said on May 4 that this was a cabinet decision taken with the assent of all the three Mahayuti parties. There are as many as 24.6 million registered beneficiaries under the Ladki Bahin scheme, which provides underprivileged women a monthly allowance of ₹1,500. The Maharashtra government allocates ₹3,800 crore per month for the disbursement every month. The scheme was credited with being one of the major reasons behind the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance's landslide win in the 2024 assembly elections. However, with an estimated revenue deficit of ₹45,892 crore in FY 2025-26, the Mahayuti government is now finding it difficult to make budgetary allocations for the various populist schemes it announced ahead of the assembly elections. Consequently, it has postponed implementing its poll promise to increase monthly allowance under Ladki Bahin to ₹2100 from ₹1500.
