News Brief
Maharashtra Government Disbursed Rs 17,505 Crore To 2.38 Crore Women In Seven Months Under Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana
Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar
The Maharashtra government has provided financial assistance exceeding Rs 17,000 crore to 2.38 crore women under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, launched in June 2024, according to the Economic Survey of Maharashtra tabled in the state legislature on 7 March, reported The Hindu.
The scheme, aimed at the economic rehabilitation, development, health and nutrition enhancement, and empowerment of women between 21 and 65 years, provides a monthly financial aid of Rs 1,500 per beneficiary.
As of December 2024, Rs 17,505.90 crore had been disbursed.
The survey highlights an increase in gender budgeting allocation, with the share of gender-specific spending rising from 3.1 per cent in 2023-24 to 3.3 per cent in 2024-25.
The overall allocation grew from Rs 20,391 crore to Rs 21,951 crore over the same period.
Shelter Homes and Hostels: Expenditure on women’s shelter homes, government hostels, and protective homes dropped from Rs 15.31 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 9.82 crore in 2024-25 (up to December 24), leading to a decline in beneficiaries from 6,654 to 4,527.
Women’s Counselling Centres: Funding was reduced from Rs 4.2 crore to Rs 1.32 crore, bringing down the number of beneficiaries from 25,734 to 18,322.
Manodhairya Scheme: A programme envisaged for rehabilitation of victims of rape and acid attack, also saw an expenditure dip by almost half this year. Last year, the government spent Rs 48 crore, benefiting 374 survivors. This year, the expenditure has dropped to Rs 19.48 crore.
Pink e-Rickshaw Scheme: Announced in July 2024 to promote women’s employment, the initiative has yet to see any disbursement of funds.
