AIDWA-led women protesters in Mumbai seek disbursal of pending assistance

Visuals from the AIDWA-led protest against the stalled instalments of the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana in Mumbai on November 3, 2026. | Photo Credit: Vinaya Deshpande Pandit Women from different parts of Maharashtra gathered in Mumbai on Tuesday (November 3, 2026) to protest against the stalled instalments of the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. They sought immediate disbursal of pending instalments under the scheme. They also demanded streamlining of the e-KYC process at the earliest. “Why have you arbitrarily stopped our instalments? When the elections were there, you gave us the money. Now that there is no election, you have suddenly stopped the funds. How was our e-KYC done earlier? Why is the portal shut now? Why are there no answers? You had promised us ₹2,100 when you were running for elections. Now, you have stopped even the ₹1,500,” said Vaishali Chorge from Chandiwali.Also read | Pre-poll promises, post-poll precarityShe was among the several women who participated in a protest led by the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan on Tuesday (November 3, 2026).CPI(M) leader and AIDWA’s founding member Brinda Karat told The Hindu, “It is about the principle of accountability. In our democracy, when you make a promise, what happens when you don’t remain answerable? You take the vote. And then, who is accountable? You have betrayed these women whom you had promised ₹2,100 a month. This is not a freebie. Women’s work in India is identified as the social community, gender which does the most work.”Meena Janjal from Akola said several women in her region were landless labourers. “These illiterate women did not know about KYC. So their money stopped some time ago. But even those women who had done their e-KYC have been facing issues this year. They have not received their instalment since February 2026,” she said.High cost of livingSeveral women said the cost of living had gone up with the prices of fuel, food, vegetables, daily items of living shooting up. “At such a time, this money gave us some relief. It helped us buy medicines for the family or books for the children,” said Afsana Hazrat Ali Sheikh.Priya Ambure used to get her instalments regularly till a year ago. “I work as a house help in Mumbai. My husband earns too. We are not rich. The prices of everything we need each month have gone up. May it be wheat, sugar or rice. We live on rent. Increase the instalment from ₹1,500 to ₹2,100. Because that is what you had promised to us before elections. And start the disbursal again,” she said.Delegation meets officialsA delegation of AIDWA leaders led by Mariam Dhawale met Maharashtra government officials and Minister Chhagan Bhujbal with the demands. “We were asked to submit the applications of all those women whose e-KYC has been completed. Once these applications are given at the tehsil level, their instalments will be released, the government has told us. We have also been told to give the details of ration shops which have not been providing allocated ration to the families below poverty line. The government has said it will cancel the licence of such shops. The arrears of the honorarium for the mid day meal workers will also be cleared in two days, we have been promised,” Prachi Hatiwlekar, State General Secretary of the AIDWA, told The Hindu. Published - November 03, 2026 11:15 pm IST