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Ajit Pawar acknowledges lapses in Ladki Bahin scheme
When the scheme was introduced, we didn’t have much time for a thorough verification process. The elections followed soon after, so some ineligible individuals may have been enrolled
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday admitted that there were some errors during the initial rollout, owing to the short time between its announcement and the elections.
“When the scheme was introduced, we didn’t have much time for a thorough verification process. The elections followed soon after. We had already urged that only genuinely eligible women should apply,” he said. Pawar acknowledged that some ineligible individuals may have been enrolled.
The state government led by Devendra Fadnavis has initiated the process to recover ₹3.58 crore from 2,652 women government employees who were found to have received benefits under the scheme despite being ineligible. The scheme, launched in August 2023 by the Mahayuti government, provides monthly financial aid of ₹1,500 to eligible women aged between 21 and 65. However, government employees are not entitled to the benefit.
Arms licences
Following the Vaishnavi Hagwane case, where a license was allegedly obtained using forged documents, Pawar said he would seek information from the Pune police on the issuance of arms licences in the district in recent years, including whether the recipients had genuine need for them.
According to recent reports, 659 licences were granted in Pune between 2021 and 2023.
“I will obtain the necessary details from the Pune police. It is the police department’s prerogative to issue and revoke arms licences. We will examine whether the licence holders actually require them,” Pawar said while speaking to the media.
