Maharashtra’s Ladki Behen Yojana, a flagship initiative offering eligible women ₹1,500 monthly via direct benefit transfer, is posing financial challenges for the government’s other social welfare programs. Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, from the ruling Mahayuti coalition and a senior Nationalist Congress Party leader, recently admitted that the scheme's massive expenditure—estimated between ₹40,000 and ₹45,000 crore annually—has contributed to a funding crunch across state departments. Bhujbal specifically flagged the potential discontinuation of his department’s Aanandacha Shidha scheme, attributing its likely suspension to prioritizing funds for Ladki Behen Yojana.

He explained that this financial assistance scheme for women has made it difficult for the government to allocate resources to flood compensation and many ongoing projects in other departments. Bhujbal highlighted that authorities, including the Public Works Department, collectively face overdue payments totaling ₹84,000 crore. Despite work assignments, contractors are unwilling to proceed without settling these large pending dues, further impeding the delivery of essential services.

Bhujbal openly voiced doubts about the government's ability to resolve the funding situation in the near term. He stated that serving beneficiaries through initiatives like Shiv Bhojan Thali—which required just ₹140 crore last year but received only half the necessary funds—is becoming more difficult. The Maharashtra government’s continued focus on the Ladki Behen Yojana for electoral advantage now risks overshadowing and even shutting down several smaller but crucial welfare measures intended for millions of residents.