Nagpur: The Maharashtra Government has strongly defended its flagship Ladki Bahin Yojana before the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, dismissing allegations that the scheme is causing financial losses to the State exchequer.
The affidavit, filed by the State recently, came in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Nagpur-based social activist Anil Wadpalliwar. In his petition, Wadpalliwar argued that cash-transfer schemes such as the Ladki Bahin Yojana were financially unsustainable and harming the State’s economy. He urged the court to strike down such schemes, including other programmes offering direct cash benefits to beneficiaries.
However, the State Government asserted in its reply that the fiscal deficit is well within limits, and that the Ladki Bahin Yojana has not negatively impacted the State’s financial health. Citing official data, the government said that Maharashtra’s fiscal deficit for 2024–25 stands at 2.69%, below the prescribed 3% ceiling under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act. The affidavit added that Maharashtra ranks among the top three states in the country for maintaining deficit levels below the 3% benchmark.
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12 Sept 2025
The government further claimed that Wadpalliwar’s figures were misleading, urging the court not only to dismiss the petition but also to impose a penalty on the petitioner.
In his PIL, Wadpalliwar had highlighted that Maharashtra is burdened with debts exceeding Rs 8 lakh crore and warned that populist schemes could worsen the fiscal deficit. He cited the FRBM Act to stress that the deficit should always remain below 3%.
The government countered that the State’s financial position remains sound, with the Ladki Bahin Yojana aimed at empowering women and ensuring social welfare without breaching fiscal discipline.
The controversy had earlier spilled into the political arena, when during the Assembly election campaign, the then Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accused Wadpalliwar of being close to Congress leaders and trying to derail a scheme meant for women’s welfare. The latest affidavit confirms that the State has no intention of rolling back the scheme, which it described as both fiscally viable and socially essential.
