A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court challenging the state government’s Mukhya Mantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, a cash benefit scheme meant for the women in Maharashtra.
The plea, filed by a Navi Mumbai-based chartered accountant Naveed Abdul Saeed Mulla challenged the scheme which promises transfer of Rs 1,500 per month to all women between the age group of 21-60 years who are married, widowed, divorced, abandoned, or without support.
It also seeks quashing of the July 9 Government Resolution (GR) regarding Mukhyamantri Yuva Karya Prashikshan Yojana, an internship scheme for unemployed youth in Maharashtra.
“An additional burden is put on direct and indirect taxpayers/exchequers as the taxes are collected for infrastructure development not for irrational cash schemes,” the plea contends.
It highlights that the scheme is against the provisions of the Representation of People Act, 1951 and amounted to “corrupt practice”.
“Such kind of cash benefit schemes are synonym to bribery or gift to voters of certain class to vote in favour of certain candidate on behalf of parties in present coalition government contesting in upcoming state assembly elections,” it claimed.
It contends that the decision was taken after the present government secured only 18 out of 48 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
"Therefore, the questions here is the timing for introducing & implementation of the impugned schemes with only objectives and eying the fruitful benefits for the upcoming assembly polls those are due in the month of September-October 2024,” the plea added.
Mulla’s advocate Owais Pechkar mentioned the plea before a bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar stating that the scheme would cost additional Rs 4,600 crore and would be a “huge burden on debt-ridden state”. It claimed that the state debt was already Rs 7.8 lakh crore.
Pechkar sought urgent hearing in the plea contending that the State proposed to start transfer of funds from this month itself.
The bench, however, refused to grant an urgent hearing and said it will be listed in due course of time.
“Urgency means demolition or if someone is going to be hanged,” the bench said.
As per HC website, the PIL is likely to come up for hearing on August 5.
The plea filed has also sought quashing of the Government Resolution (GR) of July 9 with regard to Mukhyamantri Yuva Karya Prashikshan Yojana, an internship scheme for unemployed youth in Maharashtra.
