Maharashtra can’t deny aid to children’s homes while funding Ladki Bahin scheme, says Bombay HC

The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday said that the Maharashtra government could not deny or delay financial aid to institutions working for children in need of care and protection while at the same time extending assistance to underprivileged women through the Ladki Bahin scheme.

The allocation of resources must satisfy the test of reasonableness under Article 14 of the Constitution, which deals with the right to equality before law, said the High Court.

The Ladki Bahin scheme, launched in June 2024, provides a monthly transfer of Rs 1,500 to women aged 21 to 65 whose families earn less than Rs 2.5 lakh per year.

A bench of Justices Kishore Sant and Sushil Ghodeswar made the observations while hearing petitions by employees of unaided children’s homes run by non-governmental organisations.

The employees were seeking that their service conditions be made at par with those of state government employees, and that salary grants be released in their favour from the date of their appointment.

They contended that the High Court had, in 2005, while deciding on petitions by employees of a home for destitute children run by Children’s Aid Society, held that they were eligible for the same pay scales as employees working in other institutions run by the society....

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