More than a month after coming to power by relying heavily on the Ladki Bahin scheme, the Devendra Fadnavis-led coalition government in Maharashtra has decided to trace women who have availed it despite being ineligible. Meanwhile, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (SP) said it would not allow the government to humiliate the women who voted it to power and warned of protests. The Ladki Bahin Yojana provides Rs 1,500 per month to every woman aged 21 to 65 years whose annual family income is less than Rs 2.5 lakh.
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Speaking to reporters in Shirdi, Women and Child Welfare Minister Aditi Tatkare said that we are starting the cross-verification process. Those who are ineligible and still availing the benefits of the scheme will be asked to return the money. Tatkare, who is associated with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, said cross-verification was taking place in five areas. One of them is the criteria of annual income up to Rs 2.50 lakh. Those with annual income above Rs 2.50 lakh are being investigated. Apart from this, we have also received complaints that women who own four-wheelers have also taken advantage of this. Then there are some married women who are living outside Maharashtra but still availed the benefits.
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Moreover, it has been found that some have availed the benefits of two different government schemes. However, Tatkare said that some ineligible women themselves have come forward and started returning the money. I would like to thank those women who have taken an honest stand of returning the money after realizing that they are not eligible for this scheme. NCP (SP) leader Vidya Chavan warned of protests. According to information received from government sources, out of the 2.5 crore women who will avail the benefits of the scheme, at least 65 lakh will be ineligible. If the government, after getting the benefit of votes and coming to power, decides to make women ineligible on such a large scale, then we will take to the streets and will not let the government play such a game of fraud.
