Ladki Bahin scheme: Maharashtra govt raises age cap to 65 years, drops agri land condition

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said that the age limit for the state governments Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana a financial assistance scheme for women has been increased to 65 years reported the PTISpeaking during a discussion in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly the CM Shinde said that the condition regarding women whose families own government land has been removedThe scheme announced in the state budget tabled in the assembly by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is aimed at married divorced and destitute women in the 2160 age group who will get a monthly assistance of Rs 1500CM Shinde said the age limit of beneficiaries has been increased to 65 years instead of the earlier 60 while the eligibility criterion for women whose families own agricultural land was scrappedCM Shinde accused the opposition of spreading false narratives against the governmentYou cant fool people all the time he saidCM Shinde asked beneficiary women not to pay bribes to officials to get themselves registered for the schemeIf someone asks for money lodge a complaint and the concerned official will be suspended the chief minister said as per the PTIWill upgrade Jaranges security if needed says govt after claims about drone surveillanceMaharashtra Minister Shambhuraj Desai on Tuesday said that the government will seek a report from the Jalna Police regarding claims that Maratha quota activist Manoj Jaranges village was under drone surveillance reported the PTIIf needed the activists security will be upgraded the minister said in the assembly while responding to the concerns raised by the Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Vijay WadettiwarWadettiwar alleged that Jaranges Antarwali Sarati was under drone surveillance and the government must provide security to himRaising the issue in the assembly Waddetiwar claimed that the activists life may be in dangerAntarwali Sarati has become the epicentre for protests for reservations for the Maratha community in government jobs and educationEveryone has a right to protest and if the village is under drone surveillance it is not good Villagers are scared the Congress leader claimedDesai said the government will seek a report from the Jalna superintendent of police and take appropriate actionJarange had been provided armed security earlier If needed the security will be upgraded he saidMeanwhile villagers in Antarwali Sarati claimed to have seen a drone camera flying over the house of the village sarpanch Kaushalyabai Tarakh where Jarange is residingAccording to villagers this was the second spotting in less than a weekA video has surfaced on social media which shows Jarange pointing at the droneI have seen the drone myself Some individuals are playing an evil trick to intimidate us but we are not afraid These tactics will not deter us from our struggle Jarange says in the videoJarange who suspended his indefinite fast last month has been demanding implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as sage soyare blood relatives of Maratha community members and also seeking a law to identify Kunbis as MarathasKunbi an agrarian group falls under the Other Backward Classes OBC category and the activist has been demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to all Marathas thus making them eligible for quota benefitswith PTI inputs