Ladki Bahin Scheme has made opposition nervous, claims Maharashtra CM Shinde

CM Eknath Shinde. File Pic

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde on Saturday said the Ladki Bahin Yojana has made the opposition nervous and women should strengthen the Mahayuti to see their monthly allowance in the scheme go up to Rs 4,000, reported the PTI.

CM Shinde was speaking at a programme about the scheme in Maharashtra's Yavatmal along with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
The scheme was not launched to win votes but to ensure that women get the respect they deserve, he said, as per the PTI.

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"The government will not stop at just Rs 1,500 per month," the chief minister said, asking women in the gathering to strengthen the Mahayuti so that the instalment can be increased up to Rs 4,000.

The Ladki Bahin Scheme provides monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 to married, divorced, and destitute women in the 21-60 age group with Rs 2.5 lakh annual family income ceiling.

According to the PTI, CM Shinde further claimed that if the Congress had been in power, people would have received only Rs 400 out of Rs 3,000 under the Ladki Bahin Scheme because of corruption.

The Mahayuti government wants to empower women with welfare schemes and make them 'lakhpatis' (millionaires), he said.

CM Shinde slammed the opposition parties for their 'Maharashtra bandh' call to protest the Badlapur sexual assault case, accusing them of politicising the incident.

A male attendant has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two 4-year-old kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur town of Thane district recently. The alleged crime had sparked a massive protest at Badlapur railway station earlier this week.

CM Shinde alleged the opposition was trying to plot something bad around the Badlapur incident.

"During the agitation at the Badlapur railway station, the demands of the protestors were met. But the stir continued. Was the opposition trying to trigger a riot?" he said, the news agency reported on Saturday.

Meanwhile, addressing the gathering, Devendra Fadnavis said that the opposition had accused the government of "buying people" when it launched the Ladki Bahin Scheme, as per the PTI.

Devendra Fadnavis said that the opposition had claimed that even 10 per cent of women won't benefit from the scheme, but 1.5 crore women have availed of it.

The Mahayuti government has given women the Ladki Bahin Scheme and will ensure their safety as well, he said.

Devendra Fadnavis said the state government was taking strict action in the Badlapur case and has started counselling in schools.

"Some people (opposition) have become insensitive. They want to do politics over such issues for votes," he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the state government is working towards getting the Shakti Bill, which is with the President for approval, implemented as soon as possible.

(with PTI inputs)