Mumbai, July 3 (IANS) Minister of Women and Child Welfare Aditi Tatkare said in a written reply in the state assembly that there is no plan at the moment to give bank loans to start small businesses to the beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin Yojana.

The minister’s announcement comes days after Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar had said that beneficiaries of Ladki Bahin Yojana would be eligible for bank loans to start small businesses.

The minister was also silent in her reply on the ruling alliance’s poll promise of increasing the monthly payout under the Ladki Bahin Yojana from Rs 1500 to Rs 2100. The question was asked by legislators from the ruling and opposition parties.

“Under the scheme, there is a provision to provide a financial benefit of Rs 1500 per month to the eligible beneficiary woman. In the financial year 2025-26, a budgetary provision of Rs 28,290 crore has been made for the general category, Rs 3240 crore for the tribal category under the Tribal Development department and Rs 3960 crore for the Scheduled Caste and Neo-Buddhist category under the Social Justice and Special Assistance department. Accordingly, the funds made available have been distributed to pay financial benefits to eligible beneficiary women,” said the minister in her reply.

The department accepted that under the scheme, 2,289 women state government employees benefited.

“Their benefits have been discontinued as it was discovered that they had taken benefits,” Minister Tatkare said in her written reply.

In May 2025, Ajit Pawar had said that the government was exploring partnerships with cooperative and regional banks to facilitate these loans.

“District cooperative banks can give a Rs 30000-40000 loan to my sisters, which can be the capital to start a small business. And Rs 1500 every month will get deposited in these banks every month, which will repay the loan amount,” Pawar had said at a program in Nande district’s Mukhed.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, too, had said his government was working to ensure the financial aid provided under it brings gainful benefits to beneficiaries. “The state government is working to ensure financial aid brings gainful benefits to beneficiaries. The scheme will be implemented effectively,” the Chief Minister had added.

Replying to a question about the details of the scheme announced by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the minister in her written reply said that no such plan is on the cards at present.

The Ladki Bahin Yojana, the flagship scheme of the previous Eknath Shinde-led government, was formally launched in August last year. Under the scheme, eligible women below the poverty line get financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month through direct benefit transfer (DBT).

–IANS

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