Mumbai: In a classic case of realpolitik, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has again turned critic of his own party, serving the Opposition on a platter as a talking point, neatly gift-wrapped for election. Gadkari, known for making discordant noises, has raised a red flag about the Maharashtra government's Ladki Bahin scheme—an initiative aimed at providing financial assistance to women—that he feels might derail timely payments of subsidies in other sectors.
The irony is palpable as the opposition, with their well-trained radar for political missteps, has latched onto Gadkari's comments. The Congress, the NCP (SP), and the Shiv Sena (UBT) wasted no time pointing out that if even those in power are admitting the state's economy is in dire straits, perhaps we should all start panicking. Gadkari’s public take on the Ladki Bahin scheme and state finances is all the more significant considering the Maharashtra Assembly elections are slated after Diwali.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Expresses His Views
Speaking at a public event in Nagpur on Monday, he laid it all out: “Will investors get their subsidies on time? Who knows? We have to fund the Ladki Bahin scheme too!” In other words, he fears that funds previously earmarked for other subsidies will now be diverted.
As the Ladki Bahin Yojana rolls out, he bluntly warned "My opinion is that irrespective of the government, belonging to any party, keep the government at bay. Government is like a 'vishkanya' (poison maiden); whosoever goes along with it will doom themselves. So do not get into that matter," he said in a lighter vein.
He went on to add, “If you are getting a subsidy, take it, but again, it is not sure when one will get it. With the Ladki Bahin Yojana being started, they have to use the funds allocated for subsidies for that work,” Gadkari said.
About Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana
Under the state’s shining new ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana,’ women aged 21-65, regardless of marital status, will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500 — assuming their family income doesn’t exceed Rs 2.5 lakh. All this comes at a cool cost of Rs 46,000 crore to the state’s treasury, just in time for the Maharashtra Assembly polls. Naturally, the opposition is ecstatic.
Congress has seized the moment to slam the Mahayuti government for its apparent lack of fiscal responsibility, with General Secretary Jairam Ramesh noting that this Ladki Bahin Yojana looks like a desperate electoral ploy designed to distract from the state’s economic woes. He pointed out that Gadkari, a senior Union Minister, is now publicly acknowledging Maharashtra’s fiscal troubles, which is a twist worthy of a soap opera. Ramesh highlighted the “financial ruin” caused by what he termed the BJP's “puppet” government.
After all, nothing says fiscal responsibility like cancelling aid for families of farmers who committed suicide due to “emergency fund shortages”—only to reinstate it when the opposition made a fuss. He also mentioned the 400+ contractors left unpaid for 15 months and a fiscal deficit soaring past Rs 1 lakh crore—while the state’s total debt now eclipses Rs 7 lakh crore, roughly 20% of its GDP. A real feather in the cap!
