Mumbai: To save costs, it's better to take a relook and undertake pruning exercises of the list of beneficiaries seems to be the instant solution that the state government appears to be working on. Overburdened with the mounting costs of populist schemes that have widened the gap of revenue deficit to Rs 45,000 crore, the government has been forced to set its house in order.
To begin with, the Social Justice Department is busy reworking the long list of beneficiaries who receive monthly stipends of Rs 1,000 under two schemes – Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yoajan and Shravan Bal Seva Yojana. The number of beneficiaries is close to 22.5 lakh.
Besides, the state also contributes its share to the Centrally sponsored three schemes for aged persons coming from below the poverty line (BPL), a pension scheme for widows from BPL and divyang individuals.
A few months ago, beneficiaries were asked to link their bank accounts with Aadhaar to continue receiving payments, following a directive from Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's Finance Department. As a result, the number of beneficiaries dropped from 47 lakh to 32 lakh. Now, other state departments have been instructed to adopt similar practices, reportedly on Pawar’s orders.
Concerned about the state's finances, Pawar recently told party workers in Parbhani that Maharashtra's Rs 7 lakh crore budget spends Rs 3.5 lakh crore on salaries, pensions, and loans.
He highlighted major expenditures, including Rs 65,000 crore on the Ladki Bahin Yojana and the electricity bill waiver for farmers, with Rs 17,000–20,000 crore paid to MSEDCL alone. The Ladki Bahin Scheme alone requires Rs 45,000 crore annually.
