Rafia further added that these women were made to stand in long queues, many of them barefoot, clinging to the hope of support. “Now they’re being labelled ineligible? Will they be forced to take loans to return the so-called wrongful benefits?” she asked. Rafia warned, “The government must now stop cheating in the name of the Maiya Samman Yojana and if any money is extorted from even one sister or daughter, we will raise the voice of our sisters and daughters from the streets to the Parliament in such a way that the government’s eardrums will shake.” JMM, on the other hand, defended the BJP’s allegations, arguing that the move was part of a clean-up operation to remove ineligible applicants due to errors in Aadhaar linkage and documentation. Party spokesperson Vinod Pandey accused the BJP of spreading misinformation to mislead the public. “The scheme has benefited nearly 58-60 lakh women, and our government has been working to ensure fair implementation without discrimination,” said Vinod Pandey. “The BJP is doing what it does best—creating confusion and obstructing progress,” said Pandey. He added that ensuring genuine beneficiaries receive support should be the government’s top priority, and that the integrity of welfare delivery must be maintained.With the controversy gaining momentum, the fate of the 5.46 lakh women now excluded from the scheme has become a flashpoint in Jharkhand’s volatile political landscape. Maiyan Samman Yojna is Hemant Soren Government’s flagship programme under which women between the age group of 18-49 get Rs 2500 every month. Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore has tabled the annual Budget of Rs 1, 45,400 crore for FY 2025-26 in the Jharkhand Assembly on March 3, out or which Rs 13,363 crore has been allocated for the Maiyan Samman Yojana.
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