India: States launch direct cash transfer schemes for women ahead of assembly polls

The unconditional cash transfers to women have emerged as the defining trend in the upcoming assembly elections scheduled for the end of this year.

The state governments of Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand are ready to launch direct cash transfer schemes for women starting this month.

In a bid to stay in power, this scheme was started by the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh last year, and since then, all the parties in power have relied on cash handouts to women voters.

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Starting this festive season, the Eknath-Shinde-led Maharashtra government has announced Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme, under which women in the age group of 21-60 years will get Rs 1,500 per month (approximately $18).

It has planned to credit the first two installments for July and August before Rakshabandhan festival, which falls on 19th August.

According to state government officials, till now, about 12.9 million women beneficiaries have been verified, and the amount will be transferred to their accounts.

The scheme will be launched this month in the state of Jharkhandas well. Almost 3 million registrations have been done so far.

For the same, the government has announced the Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana, under which women in the age group of 21-50 years will get Rs 1,000 ($12) every month in their bank accounts.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said, “We always want to empower women and make them financially strong and self-dependent. We are going to provide cash assistance to every woman in the state in the age group of 21-50 years every month. I have directed the officials concerned to implement it fast.”

In the case of the state of Haryana, around five million families will benefit from the scheme that will be launched this month and registrations have already started for the same.

The BJP government led by Nayab Saini has launched the Har Ghar Har Grahani scheme, under which households below the poverty line will be given an LPG cylinder each for Rs 500 ($6).

The difference between the actual price of the cylinder and Rs 500 will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of the women.

Apart from these, at present, at least eight other states, including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, West Bengal, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh, have cash transfer schemes for women.