Mumbai, March 21: Beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin Yojana in Maharashtra will have to wait for the promised INR 2,100 financial assistance, as the state government has announced that the increased amount will only be provided once its financial situation improves.

Maharashtra Deputy CM and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar clarified in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, March 20, that while the INR 2,100 hike is not denied, for now, the monthly assistance will remain at INR 1,500. The revised amount will be considered after assessing the state's finances. Ladki Bahin Yojana Update: Changes To Be Made in Scheme, Says Ajit Pawar; Know Who Will Be Declared Ineligible.

The Ladki Bahin Yojana, launched before the state elections by the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), promised INR 1500 per month for women. The MVA alliance (Congress, Sharad Pawar-led NCP, and Shiv Sena-UBT) had pledged to raise it to INR 3000 if they came to power. In response, the Mahayuti promised an INR 2100 increase. However, despite expectations of an official hike in the 2025-26 budget, no timeline was provided for the increase.

Pawar also addressed opposition claims that only 40% of the allocated funds had been used in the current financial year. He dismissed the claims, stating that 77.26% of the budget had been spent, citing election duties that occupied administration resources for four months in 2024. Ladki Bahin Yojana To Discontinue? Ajit Pawar Drops Big Update on Cash Scheme for Women in Maharashtra.

It must be noted that the Ladki Bahin Yojana scheme was launched under former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's tenure. Under the scheme, the state government provides women with INR 1,500 as monthly allowances. However, ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls, the MahaYuti, comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the NCP-Ajit Pawar camp, promised to raise the Lakdki Bahin Yojana amount to INR 2,100 per month.

However, the state government has not yet hiked the monthly allowance to the promised INR 2,100. A few days ago, Ajit Pawar clarified that he had never made such a commitment. Although he acknowledged that the pledge was part of the ruling alliance's manifesto, Pawar cited financial constraints as the reason for maintaining the existing amount of INR 1,500. In his budget speech, Ajit Pawar allocated INR 36,000 crore for the scheme, which is lower than last year’s INR 40,000 crore.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 21, 2025 04:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).