Mumbai, Aug 15 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said more than one crore eligible women in the state will start getting Rs 1,500 financial assistance per month under the government’s ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme after its launch on August 17.
Speaking to reporters, he said some eligible women already received Rs 3,000 as the instalment for two months on Wednesday during the scheme’s trial run.
“The scheme is set to commence this Saturday. The state government expects that more than one crore eligible women will begin receiving Rs 1,500 per month,” he said.
The state government initially announced the scheme’s launch on August 17. However, it has now been clarified that July will be considered the starting month of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. Eligible women will receive an initial instalment of Rs 3,000 (for two months), he said.
The scheme was included in the supplementary budget of the Maharashtra government and is projected to incur an annual cost of Rs 46,000 crore to the state exchequer.
This is a flagship scheme of the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government on the lines of the ‘Ladli Behna Yojana’ in Madhya Pradesh introduced by the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led dispensation.
Assembly elections in Maharashtra are likely to be held in October or November.
The government, in which Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP are sharing power, is trying to project the financial assistance being provided under the Ladki Bahin scheme as the Raksha Bandhan gift to women.
Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated on Monday. PTI ND MVG NP
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