Maharashtra to remove women owning four-wheelers from receiving benefits under Ladki Bahin Yojana
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has decided to identify and ‘disqualify’ women who have availed benefits under its flagship Ladki Bahin Yojana despite owning a four-wheeler.
The Ladki Bahin scheme offers Rs 1,500 per month to women up to 65 years of age with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh. However, the family should not have any government employee or own a four-wheeler.
“Disqualifying them is the only action we propose to take. There will be no investigation nor will any fine be levied on them,” Jamsinh Girase, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Pune Zilla Parishad, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
Girase added that they have asked the RTO to submit a list of such women, noting that the process will likely take a month.
Meanwhile, a woman beneficiary from Pimpri-Chinchwad’s Indrayani Nagar area told IE that even though she owns a four-wheeler, it was bought a decade ago. “I lost my job more than three years back. I don’t get any salary. But I have a four-wheeler which was bought when I was working 10 years back. What do I do?,” she asked.
In response, Girase stated that, according to government directives, an individual will be disqualified if a four-wheeler is registered in their name.
The Congress and NCP (SP) criticised the government over the issue, calling the latest action "insulting" to women and equating it to betraying them.
The Ladki Bahin Yojana is considered to be a key factor that helped the BJP-led Mahayuti secure 230 seats out of the 288 in Maharashtra in the recently held Assembly elections.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
