Cash assistance to women: Maharashtra joins 10 other states

Ahead of Assembly elections scheduled for later this year, the Maharashtra government of the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP combine has become the latest to announce a scheme for monetary assistance to women in the state every month.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who handles the finance portfolio, introduced the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme in the Budget Friday, under which Rs 1,500 will be transferred into the bank accounts of eligible women in the age group of 21 to 60 every month beginning July 1. The scheme is expected to cost the Maharashtra government Rs 46,000 crore.

In March, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi announced the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana in its Budget for 2024-25, under which every woman over 18 years will receive an honorarium of Rs 1,000 a month. The scheme will exclude taxpayers, beneficiaries of government pension schemes, and government employees.

At present, at least eight other states have cash transfer schemes for women.

Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam, Tamil Nadu, DMK-led govt

Launched in September 2023 by Chief Minister M K Stalin, the scheme promises Rs 1,000 monthly for a woman above 21 years of age per family, provided the family's annual income is less than Rs 2.5 lakh, it owns less than 5 acres of wetland and 10 acres of dry land and it consumes less than 3,600 units of power yearly.

Jagananna Ammavodi Scheme, Andhra Pradesh, ex-YSRCP govt

This scheme provides Rs 15,000 per annum to "poor and needy mothers or recognized guardians" belonging to a BPL household. The newly-elected TDP-led NDA government has not made clear yet what it intends to do with the scheme. In its poll manifesto, the TDP had promised three free LPG cylinders to eligible beneficiaries per year, free bus travel for women, as well as Rs 1,500 per month to all eligible women in the age group of 19-59 years.

Orunodoi Scheme, Assam, BJP govt

Through Orunodoi — announced in the 2020-21 Budget — a monthly assistance of Rs 830 is transferred to women members of marginalised families in Assam. The applicant has to be a permanent resident of Assam, whose composite household income should be less than Rs 2 lakh per annum. Families with specially-abled members and divorced/ widowed/ separated / unmarried women are prioritised. Poorer families, those without National Food Security Act (NFSA) or ration cards, are also given priority.

Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana, Himachal Pradesh, Congress govt

The Congress promised Rs 1,500 per month to women between the ages of 18 and 60 in the state in its Assembly election campaign in 2022, which it went on to win. The scheme is expected to cost the government more than Rs 800 crore, with five lakh women bbeneficiaries. The Congress government is yet to start giving out the money but will soon start rolling out the form required.

Gruha Lakshmi, Karnataka, Congress govt

In the run-up to the elections, the Congress followed a similar playbook as Himachal in Karnataka. Its five "guarantees" included financial assistance of Rs 2,000 every month to eligible women. The women need to belong to Antyodaya, BPL and APL families, and should be identified as the head of the family in documents.

Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Yojana, Madhya Pradesh, BJP govt

Under the scheme, launched during the tenure of Shivraj Singh Chouhan as chief minister (he is now Union minister at the Centre), women in the 23-60 age group are given Rs 1,000 per month subject to certain conditions, including that they are not income tax payees and their families’ annual income is below Rs 2.5 lakh.

Mahalakshmi scheme, Telangana, Congress govt

The state’s Mahalakshmi scheme, announced by the Congress before the state’s Assembly polls last December, currently offers women and transgender persons free travel on state-run non-AC buses. It has two more components — financial assistance of Rs 2,500 to eligible women and an LPG cylinder at Rs 500. Both these proposals are being worked out by the Congress government, which came to power late last year after defeating the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which was in power for 10 years.

Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme, West Bengal, TMC govt

Ahead of the 2021 Bengal Assembly elections, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee promised a programme to help women in the state “who had lost their savings to demonetisation”, and after winning, launched the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. Under the scheme, women belonging to the general category receive a monthly assistance of Rs 500 aand those from Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) Rs 1,000 per month. All women under the age of 60 are eligible for the scheme.

According to government data, there are over 2.1 crore beneficiaries of the scheme across the state, making it the Mamata government’s largest financial assistance programme. Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the TMC government in its budget increased the assistance under the scheme to Rs 1,000 a month for women in the general category and Rs 1,200 for SC/ST women.

Rs 1,000 honorarium, Punjab

Launching the AAP’s ‘Mission Punjab’ for the 2022 Assembly polls, national convener Arvind Kejriwal announced that if voted to power, AAP will transfer Rs 1,000 per month to the account of every woman in Punjab aged 18 or above.

After coming to power in March 2022, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reiterated this on a number of occasions. However, there has been no movement on this front.

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