Prameya Welfare Foundation v. State Of Maharashtra Woman And Child Department

Jvs.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION NO. 69 OF 2024 Prameya Welfare Foundation } Petitioner

Versus

State of Maharashtra } Respondent Ms. Sumedha Rao i/b. Ms. Rumana Bagdadi for petitioner.

Mr.

Abhay L.

Patki, Additional Government Pleader with Ms. Sheetal Malvankar, AGP for respondent-State.

by PRAVIN DASHARATH PANDIT Date:

2025.01.02 18:53:41 +0530 PRAVIN DASHARATH PANDIT CORAM: DEVENDRA KUMAR UPADHYAYA, CJ. & AMIT BORKAR, J.

DATE:

JANUARY 2, 2025 P.C.:

1.

Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Additional Government Pleader representing the State. 2.

This PIL petition has been filed seeking direction to the State for appropriate implementation of Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme in respect of eligible women. The petition has been filed in the backdrop of the situation that on the introduction of the scheme, various women were facing problems for filling up and uploading their applications. The scheme was introduced in the month of June 2024 and has been thereafter revised at least two times.

3.

The Deputy Secretary of the department concerned has filed an affidavit stating therein that adequate steps have been taken for facilitating the eligible women to apply under the scheme so that they can get the benefit of the scheme. It has been stated in the said affidavit that earlier, considering the difficulties faced by such women, as many as 11 agencies of different departments were entrusted to facilitate the eligible women to make the applications and according to the details given in the said affidavit, out of 2,51,66,912 applications which were uploaded with the help of these 11 agencies, 2,43,62,330 applications have been found to meet the eligibility criteria and about 90,000 applications have been rejected. 4.

Today, learned counsel for the petitioner has brought to our notice a Government Resolution dated 6th September 2024, whereby, considering the fact that the applications under the scheme are becoming limited, in place of 11 agencies, only Anganwadi Sevika in Anganwadi centers have been authorised to accept the applications.

5.

Though adequate steps appear to have been taken by the State to facilitate the eligible women seeking benefit under the scheme, however, learned counsel for the petitioner expresses an apprehension that there may be new problems while making and uploading fresh applications in view of the fact that the scheme has been altered/revised.

6.

We, while taking note of the steps taken by the State for appropriate implementation of the scheme and to facilitate the eligible women to be able to make their applications, provide that in case of any change or alteration which may require fresh applications to be filled in by the eligible women, the State shall

take appropriate steps so that all eligible women are able to exercise their right of seeking benefit under the altered/new scheme.

7.

With the aforesaid observations and directions, the PIL petition is disposed of.

(AMIT BORKAR, J.) (CHIEF JUSTICE)