Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said the Maharashtra government's mega 'Ladki Bahin Yojana', which provides financial assistance to underprivileged women, could affect the timely payment of subsidies in other sectors.
The veteran BJP leader described the government as a "vishkanya' (poisonous maiden) and added it should be kept at bay irrespective of which political party heads it.
"It is uncertain whether investors will receive their subsidy payment on time as the government also has to allocate funds for the Ladki Bahin Yojana," said Gadkari addressing a public event in Nagpur, his Lok Sabha constituency.
Under the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government's flagship welfare scheme 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana', married, divorced, and destitute women aged 21-65 are receiving ₹1,500 per month as stipend with the annual family income of beneficiaries capped at ₹2.5 lakh.
The scheme, introduced ahead of the upcoming assembly polls in Maharashtra, is expected to cost the state exchequer ₹46,000 crore annually.
Latching onto the BJP leader's comments on Ladki Bahin, coming ahead of polls and a time when the Mahayuti government is aggressively promoting the scheme, the opposition NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) said if those in the government were themselves saying the state's economy was in distress, then it is a matter of concern.
The Minister for Road Transport and Highways said entrepreneurs in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, where Nagpur is located, should come forward for making investment as everything cannot be left to the government.
"My opinion is that irrespective of the government, belonging to any party, keep the government at bay. Government is like a 'vishkanya' (poison maiden) as whosoever it goes along with, it will doom them. So do not get into that matter," he said in a lighter vein.
"If you are getting a subsidy, take it but again it is not sure when will (one) get the subsidy. With the Ladki Bahin Yojana being started, they have to use the funds, allocated for subsidy, for that work," said the former BJP president.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has called the scheme financially unviable and Gadkari's latest comments provided fresh ammunition to Mahayuti's rivals to attack the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP coalition government.
"Gadkari made a pertinent statement. If there is misuse and mismanagement of funds at a time when the treasury is lacking funds and the government is suspending other schemes, does the Union government have some responsibility (regarding the state's plan)?" Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said.
Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis sought to downplay Gadkari's comments, saying he has certain style of saying things and put across his views.
The Maharashtra election is expected to witness a two-way fight between the MVA coalition, of the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP - Sharad Pawar and the Congress, and theMahayuti Allianceof the BJP, Shiv Sena-Eknath Shinde and NCP-Ajit Pawar.
In 2019 the BJP and undivided Sena coalition had come to power in the state but later split.
(With PTI inputs)
