Maharstra CM Eknath Shinde

MUMBAI: Chief minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday said that those demanding money to fill in the applications for the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana will face strong action. Cases should be filed against them and they should be sent to jail, he said.
Shinde expressed his views at a review meeting of the recently announced schemes in the state budget on Friday.
“There should be no hindrance in registrations for the scheme. There should be strong action against those demanding money. They should not just be suspended but cases should be lodged against them and they should be sent to jail,” he said.
He also said that only those forms filled at government centres will be considered for scrutiny and that the district collectors should pay special attention to ensure that registrations proceed smoothly in all the 7 schemes aimed at public welfare which were recently introduced in the budget.
The Ladki Bahin scheme, will provide a stipend of Rs 1500 per month for married, divorced, widowed, deserted and destitute women between the ages of 21 and 65 years whose annual family income is below Rs 2.5 lakh and who are domiciled in the state. One eligible unmarried woman from each family will also be considered for the scheme.
The scheme was introduced on July 1 and the deadline for applications is August 31^st. It was announced in the last budget of the Mahayuti government before the assembly polls expected in October. It is patterned on the Madhya Pradesh government’s Ladli Behna Yojana which helped the BJP retain power in the state. The Mahayuti government is banking heavily on the scheme which is estimated to cost Rs 46,000 crore per year.
Activists allege that local villagers and agents are making women pay to fill their application forms even though the government has said no money will be charged to apply. “As with many other forms which are required to be filled by people who are uneducated, a local villager or agent steps in and demands a fee. We have heard people are charging between Rs 200-400 to fill these forms,” says Ulka Mahajan from the Sarvahara Jan Andolan, based in Raigad.