The Maharashtra government is set to launch the “Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana” on August 17, just in time for the Raksha Bandhan festival. The initiative, which aims to provide financial support to underprivileged women, will benefit over one crore eligible women across the state, offering them a monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500. The government, however, clarified that the program will officially begin from July, and eligible women will receive an initial payment of Rs 3,000, covering the first two months.
The scheme, which was introduced in the state’s budget in June, is designed to support women between the ages of 21 and 65 with a family income cap of Rs 2.5 lakh annually. This initiative, which will cost the state approximately Rs 46,000 crore annually, aims to uplift economically disadvantaged women and provide them with much-needed financial stability.
Modeled after Madhya Pradesh’s “Ladli Behna Yojana,” which was introduced by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, this program is seen as a major step in women empowerment and is being promoted as a Raksha Bandhan gift ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that a trial run of the scheme was successfully carried out, and the first two-month installment has already been transferred to select beneficiaries. On August 17, the government plans to distribute the Rs 3,000 installment to eligible women, marking the official launch of the scheme.
