MUMBAI/ NATIONAL, 27 JULY, 2024 (GPN): Maharashtra’s women and child development minister AditiTatkare has dismissed news reports claiming that the recently announced ‘LadkiBahin’ scheme, which will provide financial help of Rs 1,500 to eligible women in the state, is facing opposition from the finance department. The reports also suggested that the objections had exposed cracks within the Mahayuti alliance just before the state assembly polls.

Rubbishing the reports, Tatkare said on social media: “As the minister of the department, I would like to responsibly state that no objections were raised by the Finance Department headed by Hon. Ajit Dada Pawar
after the scheme was announced. The state government led by Hon. Chief Minister Eknathji Shinde, DCM DevendraFadnavisji, and DCM Ajit Dada Pawar initiated this scheme after completing all procedures, keeping in mind the perspective of women’s empowerment. The state government has also provisioned the required funds for the execution of the scheme.

However, such baseless news can create confusion amongst the beneficiaries.”She further wrote, “As responsible media outlets, you are requested not to publish confusing news without verifying the same with the concerned department. If you need any information, I, as the minister of the department, am always ready to provide it.

The Hon. CM EknathjiShinde, Hon. Dy. CM DevendraFadnavisji, and Hon. Dy. CM Ajit
Dada Pawar, along with the state government,will ensure that this scheme is a success and
beneficial in empowering the women of
Maharashtra.”

The scheme has been initiated by the state government on the lines of the ‘Ladli Behan’ initiative floated by the Madhya Pradesh government under Shivraj Singh Chouhan. In the recently held additional interim budget, deputy chief minister and finance minister Ajit Pawar announced provision of Rs 1,500 financial help
to eligible women in the state. The scheme is being seen as a game-changer and has given hope to Mahayuti to perform well in the upcoming state assembly polls, especially after the debacle in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.

More than one crore women in the state have filed
applications under the scheme in just one
month’s time, with five lakh women filling up
applications daily. Sources said the maximum
applications have been received from Pune
district, followed by Thane and Ahmednagar.
Further, sources within the department said 60
per cent of the applications were filed by married
women. The list of eligible beneficiaries will be
displayed publicly once the scrutiny process is
completed.

Among the new ministers in the Maharashtra cabinet, Aditi Tatkare stands out as the sole woman minister, bringing gender representation to the forefront. Her political journey, from a local leader to holding key portfolios in the state government, showcases her growing influence in Maharashtra politics.

Aditi Tatkare, daughter of senior NCP leader Sunil Tatkare, has emerged as a prominent figure in the recent political developments. She was elected as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Shrivardhan on October 24, 2019. Hailing from Roha town in Maharashtra, Aditi has quickly made her mark in politics.

Aditi Tatkare has held several notable positions in her political career. She served as the President of the Raigad Zila Parishad from 2017 to 2019, demonstrating her leadership skills at a local level. On December 30, 2019, she became a minister in the State Government of Maharashtra, holding key portfolios such as tourism, information and public relations, law, judiciary, food and civil supplies, water resources, energy, and finance, among others. Aditi’s tenure as a minister has been marked by her active involvement in handling diverse departments, contributing to the governance of Maharashtra.