Mumbai: State women and child welfare minister Aditi Tatkare on Wednesday said that none of the stipends disbursed under the Ladki Bahin scheme has been taken back so far. Her statement came after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray claimed that the state govt was planning to scrap the populist scheme after the BMC polls.
Tatkare said around 3,000-4,000 beneficiaries had written to the state govt, saying they wanted to give up their claim because they had crossed the eligibility criteria. “They had either lost their domicile in Maharashtra, crossed the income limit or acquired a four-wheel vehicle,” she said. “Even with cases where women have given up their claim to the scheme, we have not taken back anything yet.”
Thackeray had said, “My reading is that govt will increase the number of ineligible beneficiaries after the civic polls and take back their money. And after the polls, it will wind up the scheme.”
Tatkare also responded to the controversy over Sena minister Bharat Gogawale’s claim to the post of Raigad guardian minister, a post she holds. “I feel these decisions should be left to the chief minister. We have all had to make adjustments and after winning such a large mandate, such episodes will put off our voters,” she said.
—Priyanka Kakodkar