Contrary to general belief, CM Eknath Shinde began preparations for the gamechanger Ladki Bahin scheme in Jan this year. He found that in a progressive state like Maharashtra, no serious efforts had been made for the financial uplift of women, particularly in rural parts. Then, Shinde had a series of meetings with his additional chief secretary Bhushan Gagrani, now BMC commissioner, on drafting a scheme for providing financial assistance to poor women.
It was felt that the Ladli Behna scheme in Madhya Pradesh, then led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, was the most effective and result-oriented—that besides providing financial assistance, the scheme would help with electoral gains.In Madhya Pradesh, the scheme helped the Chouhan govt retain power.
Besides securing information from the Madhya Pradesh bureaucrats who had been involved with the scheme’s rollout, Shinde spoke to Chouhan on the measures to be taken for effective implementation of the plan. Once a policy decision was taken to bring in the scheme to provide financial assistance to women, Shinde himself had a meeting with senior bureaucrats of finance, planning, and women and child welfare departments to work out the actual target as well as the likely burden on the state exchequer.
With much reluctance, senior bureaucrats drafted the scheme, saying no doubt that it would result in an additional burden on the exchequer, yet in the larger interest of women, it should not be difficult for the state govt to implement the scheme.
As per the original plan, the scheme was to come into force in March, but owing to procedural wrangle, its implementation was delayed by a few months. The CM then gave clear instructions, saying once a cabinet decision has been taken, there should not be any delay and it should be ensured that the Rs 1,500 per month is deposited in the accounts on a specified date and if there is a delay, the responsibility should be fixed on the officials concerned.
As per Shinde’s directives, a budgetary provision of Rs 33,000 crore was made for making payments till this Dec. The annual expenditure on the scheme will be Rs 46,000 crore. Besides several factors, Ladki Bahin helped Shinde retain power in the state.
Out-Pawared
In his six decades in politics, veteran politician Sharad Pawar’s predictions for the assembly election have gone haywire for the first time; they are nowhere near the actual results. A day before the counting of votes, Pawar had declared that MVA would secure at least 157 seats and that the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti govt would be dislodged.
The Pawar-led NCP faction had contested 86 seats and won only 10 seats, making it its worst ever performance. In the LS polls, his party had contested 10 seats and won eight. Although Pawar’s party contested a larger number of seats this time, his concentration was on nephew Ajit Pawar in Baramati, his once trusted aide Hasan Mushrif in Kagal, and Dilip Walse Patil in Ambegaon, who was once his personal assistant. Pawar fielded his grandnephew Yugendra Pawar in Baramati, Samarjeet Ghatge in Kagal, and Devdatta Nikam in Ambegaon—all three were defeated. Pawar’s claim that all those who left him in the past never returned to the legislature and now, they have been elected to the assembly.