‘Cheating’: Sharad Pawar attacks Shinde govt over Ladki Bahin scheme for women

Nationalist Congress party (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday attacked the Mahayuti coalition government of “cheating” women by implementing the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin income scheme support scheme.
Addressing a press conference, Pawar said the scheme lacks clarity on budgeting and financial provisions to fund the scheme in a sustainable manner, news agency ANI reported. He said his party would not oppose the scheme if the Mahayuti government can make “clear and separate” provisions for the scheme.
“Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme was cheating, there is no clarity of budgeting and financial provision for the scheme. If they can make clear and separate provisions for financial support for this scheme we won’t oppose it,” Pawar said.
During the press conference, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Pawar’s faction of NCP, Uddhav Thackeray’s faction of the Shiv Sena and the Congress released a “White paper” listing the alleged failures of the Maharashtra government on several issues like women’s safety, farmer’s distress and the collapse of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue.
The scheme has been a bone of contention between the Mahayuti government and the opposition parties in Maharashtra since its inception in August this year.
While the government has been showcasing the scheme as one of its achievements, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has been pointing out that the state does not have financial resources to fund the scheme. The state allocated ₹46,000 crore to implement the scheme in the state Budget in July.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on October 8 accused the state government of setting fake narratives through advertisements ahead of assembly elections.
He also attacked the government over the income support scheme saying the government is trying to make people betray “Maharashtra dharma” by giving their own money (through the scheme).
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, on October 8, appealed to women to beware of some “step-brothers” trying to stall welfare schemes.
“Bhau Beej will be celebrated in November. Anticipating the imposition of the election code at that time, the government is crediting the “Ladki Bahin” scheme instalments for October and November in advance. This means the “Bhau Beej” for November will be credited into your accounts in advance,” the BJP leader said.
Thackrey challenged the Mahayuti alliance to declare their CM face as the alliance is in power. “Let Mahayuti announce their CM face first then we will let you all know who our CM face is. Being in govt, Mahayuti should announce their CM face first,” ANI reported him as saying.
(With agency inputs)