Maharashtra Govt Delays Ladki Bahin Scheme Hike, Cites Financial Constraints

Mumbai, India: Beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin Yojana will have to wait for the promised ₹2,100 monthly aid, as the Maharashtra government announced that the increase will be implemented only when financial conditions improve. Finance Minister Ajit Pawar confirmed in the Legislative Assembly that the current ₹1,500 assistance will continue for now.

“We have not denied the hike, but it will be given only after assessing the financial situation,” said Pawar, responding to Opposition queries on the state budget. Before the elections, the Mahayuti alliance (BJP, Shiv Sena–Shinde faction, and NCP–Ajit Pawar faction) pledged to raise the scheme’s amount to ₹2,100, while the Opposition MVA (Congress, Shiv Sena–UBT, and Sharad Pawar-led NCP) had promised ₹3,000. However, the 2025-26 budget did not include an official timeline for the increase.

Meanwhile, Pawar refuted claims that only 40% of the allocated funds had been used, clarifying that 77.26% of the budget had already been spent. The delay is attributed to two major elections in 2024—the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly polls—which impacted fund disbursement.