"Stand strong with sisters": Maharashtra CM meets beneficiaries of Ladki Behna Yojana

Satara (Maharashtra) [India], August 18 (ANI): A week after launching the 'Mukhyamantri Ladki Behna Yojana' in the state Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that he felt satisfied after watching the happiness on the faces of the beneficiaries.
"We stand strong with these Bahini. We want to make them self-reliant," said CM Shinde.
The Chief Minister said that he spoke to some of the Bahini (sisters) and said that they will use the money to educate their children, medication and increase whatever little business they do.
Earlier in a podcast with ANI, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde highlighted the state government's flagship scheme, 'Mukhyamantri Ladki Behna,' ahead of Raksha Bandhan.
The Maharashtra government launched the scheme on August 17 to provide financial assistance to women and make them more independent and self-reliant. The scheme aims to empower women through financial assistance, providing Rs 1,500 per month to women aged 21-65 with an annual income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh.
Speaking to ANI about the developmental schemes in the state, Eknath Shinde said, "We have started the Mukhyamantri Ladki Behna Yojana under which more than one crore women in the state will receive Rs 1,500 per month as direct financial assistance. If there are two sisters, they will receive Rs 3,000.
"The "Mukhyamantri Ladki Behna" scheme is modelled after Madhya Pradesh's "Ladli Behna Yojana" and aims to provide long-term financial support to women in need.
CM Shinde also said 3 gas cylinders per year will be provided free of cost to all eligible beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana of Maharashtra Government.
"From the time, a girl child is born, the state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 5,000 when they go to school, they will receive Rs 6,000, they receive Rs 7,000 when in 5th standard and Rs 8,000 when they go to the 11th standard. When the girl reaches 18 years of age, by then she will have received Rs 1 lakh," he said.
CM Shinde said that the state government aims to encourage more and more girls to study and take up higher education.
"Girls should study, this is our aim. A girl committed suicide. Why? Because the government was paying 50 per cent of the fees. But 50 per cent was not enough for her parents to pay. That's when I started the initiative to help girls attain higher education and become doctors, lawyers or engineers. The government will pay their fees. This decision was also taken," stated the CM.
The flagship scheme is only applicable to women who belong to financially disadvantaged families. As per the criteria, women from families with less than Rs 2.5 lakh household income per annum are eligible.
Associating the scheme with the upcoming Raksha Bandhan festival, Eknath Shinde said that the scheme aims to protect the interests of women in the state through the 'Ladki Behna Yojana.' (ANI)