A widow who works as a housemaid in the Sambhajinagar area of Maharashtra, she had little control over money entering her home and used her thumbprint to sign paperwork. When she signed up for the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, one of the largest state cash transfer programs in India, that all changed. It was introduced only months before the state’s hotly contested election in 2024 and pays qualified women 1,500 rupees ($17; £13) a month. It has grown to be one of the state’s most powerful political symbols as well as a financial lifeline for millions.
The small monthly payment represented Bawaskar’s first bank account and money of her own.It greatly helped us, especially with medical bills, even tho it is a modest sum,” she says. “I was so motivated by it that I even learned how to write.”
Bawaskar is one of the nearly 26 million women who have signed up for the program, which is currently being scrutinized for how it is being implemented. The Women and Child Development Department of Maharashtra overspent its authorized budget by 35.41 billion rupees last month, according to India’s national auditor. The department spent 332.37 billion rupees on Ladki Bahin during its first fiscal year.
Also Read:
JD Vance Claims ‘Lovely’ Britain Has Been “Defeated By Its Rulers
Taylor Swift’s Alleged Wedding Festivities Begin With A Star-Studded New York Affair
