Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday announced the launch of the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme.

This initiative, unveiled during the presentation of the state Budget at the Maharashtra Assembly, will provide all women aged between 21 and 60 years in the state with a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 starting from July 2024. Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, presented the state Budget during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra Assembly.

“We are announcing ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin’. Under this, all women will be given Rs 1500 per month. The scheme will be implemented from July 2024,” Pawar said in his budget speech. He furthermore said that an annual budgetary allocation of Rs 46,000 crore will be made for the scheme.

The Deputy CM also said that the state government will give 3 free cylinders to families comprising 5 members every year to all households under the CM Anna Chhatra Yojana.

He also announced a bonus of Rs 5,000 per hectare to farmers producing cotton and soybean in the state. He also said that the state government will continue to give Rs 5 per litre bonus to milk-producing farmers. He also said that around 44 lakh farmers in the state will be waived off electricity bill dues.