PIL filed against Maharashtra government's 'Ladki Bahin' scheme; HC refuses urgent hearing

The petitioner sought quashing of the Government Resolution dating July 9 introducing the scheme, under which a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 will be transferred into bank accounts of women in the 21 to 65 age group whose family income was less than Rs 2.5 lakh.

Mumbai: At a time when the Maha Yuti government is aggressively promoting its flagship scheme - Mukhya Mantri Ladki Bahin Yojana in the run up to to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls, a Navi Mumbai-based chartered accountant has filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of the cash benefit scheme.

However, the court has refused to stay the scheme but posted it for next hearing on August 6.

The Mukhya Mantri Ladki Bahin Yojana (Chief Minister's Beloved Sister Scheme) and Mukhya Mantri Yuva Karya Prashikshan Yojna (Chief Minister's Youth Employment Skill Training Scheme) were announced in the State Budget 2024-25.

The petitioner, Naveed Abdul Saeed Mulla, has contended that it would put an additional burden on the taxpayers and exchequer.

The PIL was mentioned by Advocate Owais Pechkar before the division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar for urgent listing.

“Such kind of cash benefit schemes are synonymous to bribery or gift to voters of a certain class to vote in favour of certain candidates on behalf of parties in the present coalition government contesting in upcoming state assembly elections,” the petitioner contended.

“The questions here is the timing for introducing and implementation of the impugned schemes with only objectives and eying the fruitful benefits for the upcoming Assembly polls that are due in the month of September-October 2024,” the plea added.

The petitioner claimed that the state debt has already mounted to Rs 7.8 lakh crore and it would create further burden on the exchequer.