The “Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana” will officially be rolled out tomorrow, August 17, two days before Raksha Bandhan festival. Over one crore eligible women are set to receive Rs 1,500 in monthly financial assistance.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the scheme will begin with an initial Rs 3,000 installment covering the first two months. Although the scheme was initially scheduled to start on August 17, the government has clarified that July will be considered the starting month for the program.
The initiative, announced in the state’s June budget and included in a supplementary budget, will provide underprivileged women aged 21-65 with a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500. Eligibility is capped at an annual family income of Rs 2.5 lakh. The scheme is projected to cost the state Rs 46,000 crore annually.
This flagship program of the Eknath Shinde-led government mirrors Madhya Pradesh’s “Ladli Behna Yojana,” introduced by the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan administration. The scheme is being promoted as a Raksha Bandhan gift to women ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. The ECI, which announced the poll schedule for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir today, didn’t announce the poll dates for Maharashtra.
On Wednesday, the state government, comprising Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP, said it has succeeded in transferring Rs 3,000 in select bank accounts of beneficiaries on a trial basis covering the first two months.
“We have lived up to our words. We had promised that we would transfer Rs 3,000 (two months instalment) to women beneficiaries whose bank account details have been scrutinised,” Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told reporters.
“As part of trial run of the scheme, we have transferred the promised amount in select bank accounts of eligible women. This Saturday (August 17, the official launch date), most eligible women will receive their first two instalments under the scheme (total Rs 3,000),” Shinde said.
The number of beneficiaries included in the trial run was not specified.
