The Crossbill News Desk
With Uttar Pradesh set to vote in assembly elections in February 2027, reports of a proposed cash assistance scheme for women have triggered a political controversy, with the Adityanath government reportedly considering payments totalling Rs 50,000 to eligible beneficiaries.
According to Deccan Herald, citing sources, the proposed amount could be deposited directly into women’s bank accounts in instalments. The first payment of Rs 20,000 is expected to be made before the elections, while the remaining Rs 30,000 would be distributed through three instalments of Rs 10,000 each.
There has been no official confirmation from the Uttar Pradesh government about the reported proposal so far, and no BJP leader has publicly confirmed that such a scheme is under consideration.
The reported plan has nevertheless drawn a sharp response from Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Reacting to reports about the proposed assistance, Yadav wrote on X: “The BJP has nothing left except money to win elections. That too is the BJP’s ill-gotten money, which the religious-minded women of Uttar Pradesh will never accept.”
Yadav also suggested that women would effectively be receiving only a fraction of the financial assistance he claimed they should have received if similar support had been provided over the past decade.
“Rs 20,000 is only four percent of Rs 5 lakh, which means these BJP people have swallowed 96 percent of women’s share.”
“After theft in the temple and attacks on children, the BJP has neither morality nor courage left”, he added.
The political appeal of such schemes has also prompted concerns over the growing burden of subsidies on state finances. The Reserve Bank of India, in its 2024-25 report on state finances, had cautioned governments against allowing subsidies to crowd out more productive public expenditure.
“States need to contain and rationalise their subsidy outgoes, so that such spending does not crowd out more productive expenditure,” said the RBI’s report.
The issue of direct financial assistance to women is already part of the political contest in Uttar Pradesh. In March, Yadav had launched the Samajwadi Party’s campaign for the 2027 elections and announced that his party would provide women with annual financial assistance of Rs 40,000 if voted to power.
The BJP, meanwhile, is seeking a third consecutive term for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, making women voters and welfare schemes an important part of the electoral landscape.
With polling still months away, the reported Rs 50,000 proposal, if formally announced, could become a significant point of contest between the ruling party and the opposition.
The emerging welfare-versus-fiscal prudence debate is likely to intensify as the Uttar Pradesh campaign gathers momentum, particularly in a state where the BJP will be seeking to consolidate its position while the Samajwadi Party looks to challenge it with its own promises of financial support for women.
According to Deccan Herald, citing sources, the proposed amount could be deposited directly into women’s bank accounts in instalments. The first payment of Rs 20,000 is expected to be made before the elections, while the remaining Rs 30,000 would be distributed through three instalments of Rs 10,000 each.
There has been no official confirmation from the Uttar Pradesh government about the reported proposal so far, and no BJP leader has publicly confirmed that such a scheme is under consideration.
The reported plan has nevertheless drawn a sharp response from Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Reacting to reports about the proposed assistance, Yadav wrote on X: “The BJP has nothing left except money to win elections. That too is the BJP’s ill-gotten money, which the religious-minded women of Uttar Pradesh will never accept.”
Yadav also suggested that women would effectively be receiving only a fraction of the financial assistance he claimed they should have received if similar support had been provided over the past decade.
“Rs 20,000 is only four percent of Rs 5 lakh, which means these BJP people have swallowed 96 percent of women’s share.”
“After theft in the temple and attacks on children, the BJP has neither morality nor courage left”, he added.
The political appeal of such schemes has also prompted concerns over the growing burden of subsidies on state finances. The Reserve Bank of India, in its 2024-25 report on state finances, had cautioned governments against allowing subsidies to crowd out more productive public expenditure.
“States need to contain and rationalise their subsidy outgoes, so that such spending does not crowd out more productive expenditure,” said the RBI’s report.
The issue of direct financial assistance to women is already part of the political contest in Uttar Pradesh. In March, Yadav had launched the Samajwadi Party’s campaign for the 2027 elections and announced that his party would provide women with annual financial assistance of Rs 40,000 if voted to power.
The BJP, meanwhile, is seeking a third consecutive term for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, making women voters and welfare schemes an important part of the electoral landscape.
With polling still months away, the reported Rs 50,000 proposal, if formally announced, could become a significant point of contest between the ruling party and the opposition.
The emerging welfare-versus-fiscal prudence debate is likely to intensify as the Uttar Pradesh campaign gathers momentum, particularly in a state where the BJP will be seeking to consolidate its position while the Samajwadi Party looks to challenge it with its own promises of financial support for women.
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment