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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India-bound LPG tanker clears Hormuz
New Delhi (PTI): A tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for India has sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz and is now headed towards the country, an official statement said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LPG carrier MT Sarv Shakti, loaded with 46,313 tonnes of LPG and staffed by 20 crew, including 18 Indians, cleared the key shipping chokepoint on May 2 and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam on May 13, it said.
The cargo -- enough to meet half a days requirement of the country -- will partly tide over supply constraints being faced since the start of the West Asia conflict more than two months back.
Ship-tracking data showed its position in Oman Gulf on Sunday evening.
The very large gas carrier has previously made runs between the Persian Gulf and Indian ports, has been chartered by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Sarv Shakti is the first India-linked tanker to cross the war zone since a weeks-old US blockade of ships tied to Iran began, pushing transits through Hormuz back down to almost zero.
There are as many as 14 Indian flagged or India-owned vessels still stranded on the west side of the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure crew welfare and uninterrupted operations.
The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) control room has handled 8,373 calls and more than 17,965 emails since activation, including 38 calls and 127 emails in the last 24 hours.
India has also facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,953 seafarers so far, including 31 in the past day from across the Gulf region.
Port operations across the country remain normal with no congestion reported, the statement added.
