Ladki Bahin Yojana: Maharashtra Women To Receive December's Installment After Polls On November 20

Ladki Bahin Scheme:  Beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin Yojana would receive the December installment of the monthly assistance of Rs 1250 on November 20 at the end of voting for the state assembly elections, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Monday.

Women whose household income is less than Rs 2.5 lakh per year are the program's target audience. During its campaign for the assembly elections, the Mahayuti declared that, if it win, it would increase the grant amount to Rs 2100. The polls' results will be announced on November 23.

"When I introduced the Ladki Bahin scheme, my goal was to empower women. Anticipating that the opposition would employ various tactics to undermine it, I arranged for advance payments till November. Beneficiaries will receive the December instalment as soon as the voting on November 20 wraps up and the model code of conduct is relaxed," Shinde told reporters.

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Since the Election Commission of India released the Maharashtra and Jharkhand election schedule on October 15, the state's model code of conduct has been in effect.

The state government has been the target of criticism from the opposition, which has questioned the scheme's longevity and financial sustainability.

Speaking at a rally at Ahilyanagar on the final day of the campaign, NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar had declared that the Ladki Bahin plan would be dropped following the state elections.