Mumbai: One year after the launch of the Maharashtra government’s Ladki Bahin Yojana, a scheme aimed at providing financial support of Rs 1,500 per month to women, thousands of beneficiaries are now facing uncertainty. The registration portal for the scheme has been closed reportedly since September last year and more recently, nearly 80,000 applications have been cancelled, raising concern and discontent among affected women.

The registration process for new beneficiaries remains shut and with no update on when it may resume, the number of women receiving assistance is expected to drop further in the coming months. In the absence of a re-verification or appeal mechanism, many eligible applicants claim they have been unfairly excluded.

Launched on June 18, 2024, the scheme saw a positive response across the state, especially in rural and semi-urban regions. However, reports of misuse and ineligible beneficiaries prompted the government to initiate a verification drive. As a result, several women either withdrew voluntarily or had their applications cancelled based on orders from higher authorities.

Protests Over Cancellations Of Registrations

The cancellations have left many without the recent installments, which has triggered complaints and protests. In several districts, women expressed frustration over the lack of communication regarding their disqualification. Many alleged they were unaware of the exact reasons their applications were rejected, especially those who had been receiving the amount regularly until now.

Officials confirmed the cancellations were based on defined eligibility conditions such as total family income, ownership of vehicles or land, and overlap with other welfare schemes. Still, the manner in which the cancellations were implemented has drawn criticism for lacking transparency.

The scheme, which was presented as a key feature of the state budget, had built considerable goodwill among women, particularly in economically weaker households. Now, with the tightening of access and cancellation of registrations, the same program is facing scrutiny and growing opposition.

Women’s groups and local representatives have started raising the issue with the state administration, demanding clarity on the selection process and a reopening of the registration portal. For many, the delay or denial of the monthly support has disrupted household budgets, especially in rural and single-income families.

Mumbai: The city’s water stock has reached 81.86 per cent of its total capacity as per data released by the Hydraulic Engineer’s Department at 6:00 am on Saturday, July 19. The combined useful content in all seven lakes supplying water to Mumbai stands at 11,84,796 million litres, a significant improvement over last year’s 5,67,778 million litres on the same date.

Modak Sagar Lake Overflows

Among the lakes, Modak Sagar already begun to overflow as of July 9, reaching 100 per cent capacity with 1,58.3 mm of total rainfall received so far this monsoon. With a current water level of 163.08 metres, it holds 1,28,910 million litres of useful content. The overflow is a positive sign, reflecting strong inflows from recent rainfall.

Middle Vaitarna currently stores the highest volume of water at 1,80,823 million litres, with its level at 282.70 metres. It showed a rise of 0.23 metres in the last 24 hours. The lake has received 1,743 mm of rainfall this season, the highest among all reservoirs.

Upper Vaitarna follows closely, with 1,73,014 million litres of useful content at a level of 601.83 metres. However, the lake showed a slight drop of 0.04 metres since the last report. It has received 1,097 mm of rainfall so far.

Tansa and Bhatsa are also showing promising figures. Tansa stands at 132,359 million litres (91.23 per cent of its useful content), while Bhatsa holds 5,51,229 million litres with a 0.20-metre rise since the previous day. Bhatsa has received 1,483 mm of rainfall, indicating healthy catchment inflows.

Meanwhile, Vihar and Tulsi, the smaller lakes, contribute relatively less but have seen steady rain. Vihar stands at 14,674 million litres, and Tulsi at 4,327 million litres.

The BMC also confirmed that Upper Vaitarna began releasing water on July 5, while Middle Vaitarna’s gates were opened on July 17. The surge in water stock has eased concerns about water supply in Mumbai for the coming months.

With reservoirs nearing full capacity, the civic body is optimistic about uninterrupted water supply, provided rainfall continues consistently through the rest of the monsoon.

Pune (Maharashtra): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MLA Aaditya Thackeray’s scathing remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have triggered a fresh political storm, now spilling onto the streets of Pune. In retaliation, the rival faction, Shinde-led Shiv Sena, has launched a poster campaign across the city, targeting Aaditya Thackeray personally and politically.

About The Posters

The posters, displayed at key junctions and public areas in Pune put out by Shivsena Pune City Chief Pramod (Nana) Bhangire, depict Aaditya as a cartoon character. One of the posters reads: “This battery will soon get drained… it runs on nepotism.”

Another takes a jibe at the ongoing investigation into the Mithi River Development Scam, stating: “Just keep counting… see how many will land in jail.”

This comes just days after Aaditya Thackeray publicly lashed out at Eknath Shinde in the Maharashtra Assembly and in media interactions. Without directly naming Shinde, Thackeray had called him a “traitor,” “thankless,” and “shameless” person who betrayed former CM Uddhav Thackeray despite being handed the powerful Urban Development portfolio.

About The Remarks

The remarks came amid heightened tensions during the ongoing monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature, where opposition leader Bhaskar Jadhav had also accused Speaker Rahul Narwekar of bias and suppressing voices of the opposition during a debate session, which was raised under Rule 293 by Bhaskar Jadhav .

The public display of political rivalry via posters suggests that the battle between the Shiv Sena factions is not just confined to the assembly but is now being waged openly on the streets, ahead of the upcoming civic body elections and crucial political alignments.

About Govt’s Move To Rename Islampur As Ishwarpur

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government’s move to rename Islampur as Ishwarpur has come in for criticism from the opposition benches. Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh criticised the Government’s decision saying that the focus should be on improving basic facilities like water, roads and public spaces.

“Rename Islampur as Ishwarpur, do everything but besides this, also work for the welfare of the city. There is no proper drinking water facility or roads there. There are no gardens and playgrounds there. People are living in increasingly worse conditions. So, how long will you fool people like this?” he said.

Shiv Sena-UBT Leader Ambadas Danve’s Statement

Reacting to this, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve said, “This government is only interested in creating casteism and conflicts.” Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) leader Jayant Patil also claimed that there were very few people behind the demand to rename Islampur as Ishwarpur.

“There were very few people who had been demanding this change for some years. This does not mean the locals wanted this, too,” Patil said.

Leaders from the Mahayuti government defended the decision. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis maintained that the name change was a response to a long-standing public demand.