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HomePoliticsHow welfare schemes Shinde launched when he was CM are losing momentum...

How welfare schemes Shinde launched when he was CM are losing momentum under Fadnavis govt

Several populist schemes launched by Shiv Sena leader may be wound up as Mahayuti govt diverts funds to CM Devendra Fadnavis's flagship Ladki Bahin scheme in Maharashtra.

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Mumbai: Several populist schemes announced by Eknath Shinde when he was chief minister in the Mahayuti 1.0 government before the Maharashtra polls are on the verge of a shutdown because of a financial crunch, with the state government diverting funds to its flagship women’s cash transfer programme, ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’.

Some of Shinde’s pet schemes facing the axe are Anandacha Shidha, Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana and the Shiv Sena’s Shiv Bhojan Thali, which were announced in the undivided Sena’s manifesto in 2019 and introduced during the pandemic.

Their possible closure comes amid speculation of a cold war between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy, Shinde.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal acknowledged that the government’s popular scheme, ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’, had affected other initiatives.

“I personally feel that Ladki Bahin has impacted other schemes of the department. Because that scheme requires Rs 35,000-40,000 crore. And if such an amount needs to be diverted, it impacts other schemes,” Bhujbal told the media Monday.

Not all schemes are affected because of a budget squeeze. Some are losing momentum because of a tepid response.

The Mukhymantri Teerth Darshan Yatra, for instance, is moving slowly, although it is not completely scrapped, because of a low response to the scheme, social justice and special assistance department officials told ThePrint.

The scheme, introduced on 14 July 2024, ahead of the polls, offered free pilgrimage trips to senior citizens above the age of 60 whose family income is less than Rs 2.5 lakh annually.

Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat, under whose ministry the scheme falls, told ThePrint that the reason, though, is not a lack of funds but the low response.

The Sena leader further said that when the scheme was launched, initially, the ministry took the people to Ayodhya for a Ram Mandir ‘darshan’ (visit). Some were even taken to Bodh Gaya, Pandharpur and other pilgrimage sites.

“We haven’t shut down this scheme, but there is relatively low response. We sent the people on the teerth darshan to Ayodhya when the scheme was started, but there have been no takers for the scheme this year,” Shirsat said.

“We don’t know why the people are not taking an interest in the scheme. Maybe because of the monsoon or what, I don’t know. That is why it looks like it has stopped. But as a department, we haven’t called it off yet.”


Also Read: United for BMC polls, Mahayuti allies BJP & Shiv Sena keep options open in MMR amid turf wars


Subsidised meals

Another major scheme that looks set to be scrapped is the Anandacha Shidha programme, introduced by Shinde during Diwali 2022, which includes a ration kit at a concessional rate of Rs 100 for saffron ration card holders.

The kit–consisting of one kg each of sooji (semolina), chana dal (split chickpeas) and sugar and one litre of edible oil—has been distributed on eight occasions, including festivals like Gudi Padwa, Shiv Jayanti and Diwali in 2023 and 2024.

In the first year, Rs 600 crore was spent on the scheme. However, in 2024, the spend came down to Rs 160 crore. It did not find any mention in this year’s budget.

During Ganesh Utsav, the kits were not provided to families, and now, with Diwali approaching, the minister says there are no funds for the scheme.

A senior Sena leader told ThePrint it was wrong to shut down the Anandacha Shidha scheme.

“Though I may give it that there are some wrongdoings in the Shiv Bhojan thali with some fraud operators getting more money than required, but the Anandacha Shidha should not have been shut down. These were important schemes started by our leader, Shinde, and the party. Let’s hope next year it gets more funds,” the leader said.

Bhujbal said funds for Ladki Bahin and flood relief had affected the ration scheme.

“We had sent a proposal to the finance department during Ganeshotsav and Diwali. But we were told it is not possible. They said that, looking at other things, this year, it is not possible,” he told the media.

The story is the same for the Shiv Bhojan thali scheme, which provides a subsidised meal to the needy for Rs 10. Announced by the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, it was a part of the undivided Shiv Sena’s manifesto. Even after the Sena’s split in 2022, Shinde continued with this scheme. The state government has been spending nearly Rs 200 crore annually on it.

However, it found no mention in the current budget.

In the past six months, nearly 2,000 Shiv Bhojan operators across Maharashtra have not received funds to continue with the scheme.

The situation is so dire that one of the operators in Nagpur even tried to end his life as he was unable to pay his grocery vendors and employees. The operators are generally self-help groups or NGOs.

Under the scheme started by then CM Uddhav Thackeray during the pandemic, the government pays the operators Rs 25 each for thalis in rural areas and Rs 40 in urban areas.

Bhujbal said that they need at least Rs 140 crore annually to keep the scheme going for at least 2 lakh people, but so far, only Rs 70 crore has been approved.

“I don’t think the entire amount has been received, though. These operators are poor people, not like big builders. They live hand to mouth, and hence their complaints often come in,” Bhujbal said.

An official from the department told ThePrint that only about Rs 20 crore has been released in April so far.

Bhujbal added he wasn’t sure whether these schemes would remain intact or shut down next year. “It depends on what the financial constraints are next year. This decision needs to be taken in the cabinet. One thing is sure, all departments are feeling the fund crunch.”

(Edited by Sugita Katyal)


Also Read: BEST mess hints at cracks in Mahayuti govt as Fadnavis, Shinde’s depts name different officers for post


 

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