Ajit Pawar admits to mistakes in Ladki Bahin scheme payout; Sena (UBT) seeks his resignation
Mumbai, Jun 2 (PTI): Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Monday admitted to "mistakes" in distributing financial assistance to all women applicants of the Ladki Bahin scheme launched last year, which he said would be rectified through scrutiny to ensure only genuine beneficiaries receive the aid.
Pawar attributed the lapses to the hasty implementation of the scheme, which was announced months ahead of the state assembly polls held last November.
Latching on to the admission of mistakes, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut demanded Pawar's resignation, alleging that the finance department headed by the NCP leader condoned the "loot of government money for the sake of votes".
"We made a mistake of giving the financial benefit to all women (applicants). We had little time to scrutinise the applications and identify the ineligible ones. At that time, elections were supposed to be announced in two to three months," Pawar, who heads the Finance Ministry, told reporters in Baramati.
He stressed that the money deposited in the bank accounts of women will not be taken back.
"When the scheme was unveiled, the government had appealed that only eligible women apply but that didn't happen. A scrutiny is being conducted. Only the needy women will get the monthly payout," he added.
The Mukhyamantri Mazi Ladki Bahin Yojana was launched on August 17, 2024, targeting women in the age group of 21 to 65 years whose annual income is capped at Rs 2.5 lakh. The applicants started receiving the benefits for July and August from the month of September.
Under the scheme, eligible women are entitled to a monthly assistance of Rs 1,500.
The scheme, believed to have ensured a crucial vote swing in favour of the Mahayuti alliance, has always been a subject of political discussions centred around governance morality, fiscal discipline, and genuine beneficiaries.
The Women and Child Development Ministry recently identified 2,289 government employees who had availed of the benefits of the scheme meant for poor women.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
