Mumbai, June 8 -- The state social justice department has diverted a sum of Rs.410 crore for payment of allowances under the Mahayuti government's flagship scheme, the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana', which is administered by the state women and child development department. A government resolution to this effect was issued by the social justice department on Thursday, barely a month after a similar amount was diverted for payment of allowances under the scheme for the month of April. The latest move is yet another indicator of the fiscal strain on the state government owing to the cash benefit scheme, which turned out to be a game changer for the ruling Mahayuti coalition during the assembly election held in November last year. "For the year 2025-26, a sum of Rs.3,960 crore has been approved to cover the Scheduled Caste category under the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana'. Following this, it has been decided to divert a sum of Rs.410.30 crore to the state women and child development department for release of instalments to beneficiaries for the month of May," stated the government resolution issued by the social justice department on Thursday. There are 24.6 million registered beneficiaries under the Rs.36,000-crore Ladki Bahin scheme, which provides underprivileged women a monthly allowance of Rs.1,500. The government allocates Rs.3,800 crore per month towards disbursement of allowances under the scheme. When funds were diverted from the social justice department to the state women and child development department earlier towards payment of allowances for the month of April, social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat had openly rebuked the move, calling it unacceptable. But this time, Shirsat has chosen to maintain silence. When asked by reporters about the diversion on Friday, he merely folded hands and left the spot in his car. Aside from the social justice department, other departments have also been diverting funds for the scheme. As reported by HT on May 25, the tribal development department had diverted Rs.335.70 crore to the scheme twice over the preceding two months. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, responded on Friday to the criticism about the fresh diversion, saying, "The people gave us the mandate to fulfill the promises made during the polls, which we are doing." Pawar also told reporters that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had already clarified the issue of fund diversions earlier. Fadnavis had stated that funds were not being diverted for the Ladki Bahin scheme - instead, funds for the scheme were allocated through the tribal development and social justice departments in resonance with budgetary guidelines. "As per budgetary rules, funds of the social justice and tribal development departments should be reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, respectively. Of the total funds, a major chunk should be reserved for personal benefit schemes and the rest for infrastructure development. Ladki Bahin Yojana falls under the category of personal benefit scheme hence we are giving funds to this scheme as per budgetary rules," Fadnavis had said. Harshdeep Kamble, principal secretary, social justice department, did not respond to calls and text messages from HT....