Can’t club benefits of Ladki Bahin, Namo Shetkari yojana: Agriculture minister

Mumbai's Mahayuti government faces backlash over scrutinizing Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana beneficiaries, with opposition alleging election fraud

Mumbai: The Mahayuti government’s decision to scrutinise beneficiaries of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana and remove ineligible candidates has sparked a political controversy, with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance accusing it of cheating women for votes in the assembly elections held in November. Meanwhile, lakhs of women from farming families are likely to be affected by the scrutiny as agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate has said that they would not be allowed to avail benefits of two government schemes at the same time.

Agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate

“Women belonging to farmer families will have to choose between the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana (NSMNY) and the Ladki Bahin Yojana. They cannot avail benefits of both the schemes at the same time,” Kokate said on Saturday while addressing a press conference. The government’s plan of waiving crop loans has been delayed due to the financial burden of the Ladki Bahin scheme, he added, drawing attention to the impact of the latter on the exchequer.

Under the NSMNY, farmer families are provided ₹6,000 annually in three equal instalments whereas under the Ladki Bahin scheme, rolled out prior to the assembly polls last November, women are provided a monthly dole of ₹1,500. Around 2.46 crore women are registered as beneficiaries under the Ladki Bahin scheme and monthly payouts to them would cost ₹46,000 crore per year, as per budget estimates.

The state government on Thursday declared that beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin scheme would be scrutinised. The state women and child development department, which administers the scheme, subsequently sought details about NSMNY beneficiaries from the agriculture commissioner’s office, which indicates that women from farming families who are availing double benefits could be dropped from the Ladki Bahin beneficiary list.

The developments have spurred the MVA into action, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) running a social media campaign asking: “Was the Ladki Bahin scheme a political trick to win elections or just a conspiracy to get the votes?” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut asked if the government was unaware about ineligible women getting benefits of the Ladki Bahin scheme before the polls. “Don’t take back the money given to them,” he said.

NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil said the government must not tweak the current beneficiary list but adopt a more careful approach henceforth. Congress MP and Mumbai chief Varsha Gaikwad also slammed the government and accused them of cheating women.

“Now that the election is over, they don’t want their beloved sisters, beloved brothers or beloved farmers. They only want their beloved friends,” said Gaikwad.