Maharashtra Govt Diverts ₹746 Crore SC/ST Welfare Funds to Ladki Bahin Scheme Amid Budget Shortfall

Facing a deepening financial crisis, the Maharashtra government has redirected ₹746 crore originally earmarked for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) towards its high-profile women’s welfare programme—Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. The move, revealed in a government resolution (GR) issued on Friday, underscores the fiscal strain the state is under while trying to sustain its expensive pre-election promises.

As per the GR, ₹410.30 crore from the Social Justice Department’s allocation of ₹3,960 crore and ₹335.70 crore from the Tribal Development Department’s ₹3,240 crore budget will now be channelled into the Ladki Bahin scheme. Notably, the government clarified that the redirected funds would benefit SC and ST women already registered under the scheme.

The Ladki Bahin Yojana, which provides ₹1,500 monthly to economically disadvantaged women, has over 2.46 crore registered beneficiaries. At its current scale, the scheme costs the exchequer ₹3,800 crore each month—making it one of the most financially demanding welfare programmes in the state’s history.

Touted as a game-changer during the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the scheme is widely seen as a key factor in the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s landslide victory. However, the ballooning cost of implementing this and other populist programmes has left the state grappling with a projected revenue deficit of ₹45,892 crore for FY 2025-26.

While the government maintains that the diversion of funds still serves the SC/ST communities under a different umbrella, critics argue it reflects a troubling compromise on targeted development spending. Social justice advocates have raised concerns about whether such reallocation could undermine schemes specifically designed to uplift historically marginalised groups.​