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Mumbai, October 6 (IANS) Maharashtra Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said on Monday that the implementation of the Mukimant Maji Ladki Bahin scheme, which was very debated, has disturbed the state’s finance and the budget of all departments. This is the first time after the scheme started before the state assembly elections last year, a minister of Mahayati government has given this statement.
“I think the spending on the Ladki Bahin scheme is affecting the distribution of sugar and food grains (distribution of sugar and food grains) during the festival season under the public distribution scheme. The year,” he said while talking to reporters.
Minister Bhujbal, who is an experienced NCP leader, further said that he cannot comment on the future.
“But one thing is that all departments are facing fund crunchs. Public work such as departments and others had a backlog of Rs 84,000 crore. We discussed in the cabinet that despite we working, the contractors are not doing this. They want to pay us. If we distribute money like this, then we have financial problems.”
The state government launched majhi ladki bahin scheme Prior to Maharashtra Assembly Polls.
Under the scheme, the eligible women below the poverty line get financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month through direct benefits transfer (DBT).
The ruling Mahayuti promised a pole to increase the amount of Rs 2,100 per month. With declining finance, the government has not yet fulfilled the promise.
Minister Bhujbal was reacting amid reports of his department’s possibility of shutting down the Anandcha Shidan Yojana.
The Aanandacha Shidha scheme was first introduced in the year 2022 during Diwali, which provides four food items to families with saffron ration cards at a concessional rate of Rs 100.
Similar kit in 2023 Gudi Padwa and Dr. Bombedkar’s birth anniversary and later were distributed during Ganesh Festival/Diwali.
In 2024, kits were also distributed during the consecration ceremony of Sri Ram temple in Ayodhya and at Ganesh Utsav. The kit included one kilogram with each rava (suji), gram dal, and sugar with a liter of soybean oil. Each time, the project cost Rs 500 crore and the beneficiary was about 1.6 crore on an average.
Minister Bhujbal also stood on the verge of closure of Shiva Bhojan Thali, another plan of the department. “Yes, this is true. Usually, we need only Rs 140 crore per year to feed two lakh people under it. But we get only Rs 70 crore. I don’t think the situation would be better than this,” he said.
Under the Shiva Bhojan Yojana, the beneficiaries are provided with a class of food, including two chaptis, one bowl of vegetables, a bowl of pulses and a bowl of poor and the needy at a subsidy of Rs 10 to the poor. However, the cost of a Shiva Bhojan plate for urban areas is Rs 50 and for rural areas it is Rs 35.
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SJ/PGH