Supriya Sule alleges Rs 4,800 Cr scam in Ladki Bahin Yojana, seeks white paper, probe

NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Supriya Sule on Monday alleged a Rs 4,800 crore scam in the Maharashtra government’s flagship Ladki Bahin Yojana and called for a white paper and an independent inquiry into the scheme.

Addressing reporters, Sule claimed that a significant number of genuine beneficiaries have been excluded from the scheme, under which women aged 21 to 65 with an annual family income of up to Rs 2.5 lakh are entitled to Rs 1,500 per month.

“Nearly 25 to 26 lakh names have been struck off the scheme, of which around two lakh are from Pune alone. On what basis were forms initially accepted, and now, on what criteria have these names been removed?” the Baramati MP asked.

She also pointed out that even men had been registered as beneficiaries, questioning the government’s verification process. “Was the administration unable to distinguish between male and female applicants? What kind of software was used, and who deployed it? This entire matter warrants a thorough investigation,” she said.

Alleging large-scale irregularities, Sule urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to release a CAG report and a white paper. “If the state government fails to do so, we will be left with no option but to approach Delhi. I am, however, confident that the chief minister will take action,” she said.

On Sunday, state minister Chhagan Bhujbal had appealed to ineligible beneficiaries to voluntarily withdraw their names and insisted that men who enrolled should face action.

Responding to his remarks, Sule countered: “Bhujbal saheb said there is a need to act against all those who wrongly received benefits. But who are these people? When account numbers were collected, was KYC not done? Were Aadhaar cards not verified? The government must clarify where this money has gone. I will be filing a public interest litigation on this matter.”

Sule also criticised the recent ward delimitation exercise ahead of civic polls, alleging it was done “for the convenience of a few” and not in the interest of voters. “Wards should be drawn keeping citizens’ convenience in mind,” she said after meeting Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram.

On the political front, she claimed that former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar had been “incommunicado” since his resignation. “Some people met him over breakfast before he resigned. Since then, he has not been reachable. We tried contacting his family members but could not get through,” she said.

Taking aim at the government over pending civic infrastructure works, she alleged neglect. “The Sinhgad Road flyover remains non-operational despite repeated follow-ups. The government is doing nothing. They are only busy breaking parties, families and now wards. This is politics of division,” she added.

With PTI inputs