Funds to Ladki Bahin scheme through tribal department, Fadnavis says no wrongdoing
The Chief Minister's remarks came amid a controversy over the funds transfer, as the Niti Aayog had issued a clear directive prohibiting the use of funds earmarked for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) for other schemes.Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat and the Tribal Development Department also opposed the move, citing strict guidelines issued by Niti Aayog. The Opposition argued that such actions could undermine welfare programs for Dalit and tribal populations.advertisementHowever, according to Fadnavis, the budget of Tribal Affairs and Social Justice departments has been hiked nearly 1.45 times in 2025-26. "This (Ladki Bahin funds disbursed through other departments) is a type of accounting. No money has been diverted. There is no wrongdoing in this," the Chief Minister said.According to him, money given into the scheme has to be shown under the Tribal Affairs Department and the Social Justice Department.Earlier this month, Sanjay Shirasat accused the Ajit Pawar-led Finance Department of high-handedness in what he termed the illegal diversion of funds from his department without his knowledge.The Tribal Development Department had previously transferred Rs 335.7 crore twice for the same scheme.NITI Aayog's guidelines, communicated through a letter to all state Chief Ministers, the Union Social Justice Department, and the Tribal Affairs Department, stated that funds allocated for Dalit and tribal welfare must not be diverted to other programmes.The Ladki Bahin Scheme provides Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women. It is a flagship initiative of the state government and incurs an estimated monthly expenditure of 3,570 crore.For the financial year 2024-25, the state budget has allocated 36,000 crore for the scheme. So far, approximately 2.34 crore women have benefited from this initiative.With PTI inputsMust Watch
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