Pune: Addressing criticisms from the opposition, Dr. Neelam Gorhe, Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council, emphasized that the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana' scheme should not be viewed in a commercial light.
The Maharashtra state government has initiated the "Ladki Bahin Yojana," a scheme aimed at empowering women. As part of this initiative, funds have already begun to be deposited into the bank accounts of eligible women.
The official launch of the scheme is set for tomorrow, August 17, in Pune. The event will be attended by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, and Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol.
Dr. Neelam Gorhe remarked that the ₹1,500 provided to women under the scheme is not meant to be the monetary equivalent of Bhai Dooj but a gesture of empowerment. She urged critics not to undermine the value of the scheme.
The inaugural event will take place at 12:30 p.m. at the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, with women from Pune district attending in person. Women from other districts will participate virtually. This information was shared by Dr. Gorhe during a press conference.
The press conference was also attended by key figures from various political parties, including Sudarshana Trigunayat, Sarika Pawar, and Kiran Sali from Shiv Sena; Pradeep Deshmukh from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP); and Sanjay Mayekar and Pushkar Tuljapurkar from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Dr. Gorhe highlighted that while the Ladki Bahin Yojana is a significant initiative, it is not the only one. The Mahayuti government has also introduced several other measures to support women, including the Annapurna Yojana, which provides three free gas cylinders annually;
financial assistance for purchasing e-rickshaws to create employment opportunities; capital support for women’s self-help groups; and free higher education for female students.
She suggested that the opposition may regret not implementing such schemes when they had the chance while in power.