Pune, 9 Jan 

The Mahayuti government in Maharashtra decided to launch the Ladki Bahin cash transfer scheme for women following the setback it suffered in the Lok Sabha elections and even consulted BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who had launched a similar initiative in Madhya Pradesh, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Friday.

Speaking to PTI in an exclusive interview amid the civic elections in the state, Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio, conceded that welfare schemes strain government finances, but averred that development in Maharashtra will not be allowed to suffer for want of funds.

Eligible women from financially weaker sections receive Rs 1,500 per month under the Ladki Bahin (Beloved Sister) scheme.

Responding to criticism that it is putting pressure on the state's budget, Pawar said cash transfer programmes for women have emerged as a nationwide phenomenon and are being implemented in many states.

"During the recent Bihar elections, a one-time amount of Rs 10,000 was transferred to women. It was their right. Everybody wants to get elected and such schemes are launched to ensure that people come along," said Pawar.

The Mahayuti coalition of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena and his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had to reassess its political strategy after it could win only 17 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said.

"Assembly elections were barely five months away. There were detailed deliberations on what could be done to bring voters back to our side and how their trust could be regained," said Pawar, who had split the NCP headed by his uncle Sharad Pawar in 2023 and joined the BJP-led government.

The Ladli Behna scheme in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh -- launched by Shivraj Singh Chouhan when he was chief minister of that state -- had gained wide popularity during this period, he said.

"We spoke to Mama ji (Chouhan), who explained the scheme to us in detail. Based on those discussions, we adopted a similar scheme in Maharashtra," Ajit Pawar said, adding that the government also decided to provide free electricity to agricultural pump sets.

Acknowledging concerns of fiscal stress, Pawar said running large welfare schemes does impact budgetary allocations.

"When the government has the responsibility of running such big schemes, it does affect development in some areas. However, development is essential. Other expenditures can be rationalised so that welfare schemes and development go hand in hand," the deputy CM said.

Major infrastructure projects, including Wadhwan port, metro and the bullet train corridor, are in progress in Maharashtra, Pawar noted.

"A lot of development work is underway even as welfare schemes continue," he added.

The Ladki Bahin scheme was launched in July 2024 when Eknath Shinde headed the Mahayuti government. In the assembly elections that followed in November, the BJP-led coalition won a landslide, winning more than 230 out of 288 seats.

Notably, the Ajit Pawar-headed NCP is contesting the January 15 civic body elections in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad cities not as a part of the Mahayuti, but in alliance with the NCP(SP) led by Sharad Pawar.