Former minister and senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar announced on Monday that the honorarium for the Ladki Bahin Yojana will be increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100, starting from Diwali next year. Mungantiwar said that the hike, which was promised in the BJP's assembly election manifesto, will be fulfilled to maintain the party's credibility. He further stated that if the promise is not kept, it could tarnish the party's image nationwide. Mungantiwar also confirmed that he would write to the Chief Minister regarding the matter.
"We must honor our commitment," said Sudhir Mungantiwar, who chaired the manifesto committee of the Grand Alliance. "Our government is fully capable of providing Rs 2,100 to our beloved sisters as promised. We will decide whether to implement the increase in January, July, or from another month. Regardless, we will fulfill the promise we made to the people."
"We launched the scheme on Bhai Dooj last year, and we can increase the amount from Bhai Dooj next year," stated Sudhir Mungantiwar. He added that five installments of the Chief Minister's Dear Sister Scheme have already been deposited into the accounts of eligible women. Since the scheme's launch in July, most women who qualify have successfully received the funds in their accounts.
The first and second installments for July and August were deposited into the accounts of eligible women on Raksha Bandhan. Following this, the installment for September was also credited with a short delay. Due to the model code of conduct coming into effect in November, the combined amount for October and November was deposited in the women's accounts ahead of Diwali. To date, a total of Rs 7,500 has been deposited in the accounts of eligible women through five installments.