Mumbai, Feb 20 The Maharashtra government will start depositing instalment of Rs 1,500 from Friday onwards to women beneficiaries under the flagship Ladki Bahin Yojana, an official said on Thursday.
The state finance department headed by the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has transferred Rs 3,490 crore to the department of women and child development to make payment directly in the bank accounts of the women beneficiaries.
However, the women and child development department sources said that the number of beneficiaries will reduce in February on account of the ongoing verification of the women beneficiaries.
At the end of December, there were 2.46 crore women beneficiaries.
However, the government excluded five lakh women beneficiaries till January as they became ineligible as per the criteria laid down by the state government.
Due to this, the number of beneficiaries reduced to 2.41 crore at the end of January.
The number of further cut in the number of women beneficiaries during February is still not available.
However, the department sources hinted that another four lakh women beneficiaries may become ineligible and they will be excluded from the scheme.
The government, which is struggling to mop up revenue to make they available for various welfare and development schemes including Ladki Bahin Yojana, is expected to monthly save about Rs 945 crore following the exclusion of about ineligible nine lakh women beneficiaries.
The government had launched the ambitious Ladki Bahin Yojana from July ahead of assembly elections held last year with the budgetary allocation of Rs 46,000 crore.
Under this scheme, women are given a benefit of Rs 1,500 every month. Women in the age group of 21-65 whose annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh were covered under the scheme.
However, the government launched verification after it received complaints about the disbursement of Rs 1,500 even to women whose annual family income was in excess of Rs 2.5 lakh.
Besides, they were possessing a four-wheeler and paying income tax.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has recently indicated that about 10 to 15 lakh women beneficiaries would be excluded but clarified that the government would not take back money that has been paid to them under the Ladki Bahin Yojana.
Fadnavis and two deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar have reiterated that the government would not close the Ladki Bahin Yojana.
However, the government has yet to take a decision on increasing the monthly instalment to Rs 2,100 from the present level of Rs 1,500 by the MahaYuti in its Assembly poll manifesto.
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