Can the Ladki Bahin scheme prove to be a gamechanger in Maharashtra elections?
Many women find the cash transfer useful, but inadequate in the face of inflation and other concerns.
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Mehmoona Subhan Shaikh, 60, is unlettered but her neighbours in the Bharat Nagar slum in Bandra East credit her with possessing deep knowledge of local politics.
Fondly referred to as moti khala or big aunty, Shaikh has lived in this slum colony on the edge of the Bandra-Kurla Complex office district since the late 1980s, and according to her neighbours, has accurately predicted the results of previous elections.
Shaikh believes the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojna, scheme launched by the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra on the eve of assembly polls, has the potential to be a gamechanger for the ruling coalition.
Under this direct cash transfer scheme, women in Maharashtra between the ages of 21 and 65 years, with an annual family income of up to Rs 2.5 lakh, have been receiving Rs 1,500 per month in their bank accounts since July.
“So far I have received Rs 7,500 under the scheme, a further Rs 802 has been credited into my account as the first instalment for the three free LPG cylinders annually available under the scheme,” Shaikh said. Having undergone a heart surgery a few years ago, she is using this money to pay for medicines, most of which, she says, are not available for free...
