The All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) Maharashtra State Committee will lead a women’s march from Mumbai’s Azad Maidan to Mantralaya on November 3, seeking the release of pending payments under the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin scheme and action on a wider set of civic and livelihood issues.
The demonstration is scheduled to begin at 11 am at Azad Maidan, near the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, according to an official statement issued by the organisation. Senior AIDWA leaders, including patron and former MP Brinda Karat, national president and former MP P K Sreemathi, and vice-president Mariam Dhawale, are expected to attend.
The protest has been organised by AIDWA’s Maharashtra State Committee. State president Naseema Shaikh and state general secretary Prachi Hatiwlekar have appealed to people to join the demonstration.
AIDWA has demanded that the Maharashtra government release all pending payments under the Ladki Bahin scheme and ensure that eligible women receive the monthly assistance regularly. The organisation has also sought the reopening of the eKYC portal and a facility for fresh applications.
The association said payments should be restored to eligible women whose benefits were discontinued despite completing the eKYC process. It has also demanded that the monthly assistance be raised to Rs 2,100, claiming that the increase was promised by the government before the 2024 Assembly elections.
The march will also raise issues linked to ration distribution and food security. AIDWA has called for the immediate distribution of the Anandacha Shidha festival ration kit and the universalisation of the Food Security Scheme. It has sought an increase in the annual income eligibility limit for ration benefits to at least Rs 25 lakh.
The organisation has further demanded that the public distribution system include 14 essential commodities, including pulses, edible oil, tea and sugar, in addition to wheat and rice. These demands place the protest beyond the question of direct cash assistance, linking the scheme to household food security and access to essential services.
Water supply is another issue on the march’s agenda. AIDWA has called for the completion and full implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission to address water scarcity in different parts of Maharashtra. It has also sought stronger public healthcare infrastructure across the state.
The association is additionally demanding the immediate release of pending honorariums for midday meal workers and payment of the promised wage increase. The demands therefore combine welfare transfers with the functioning of public distribution, drinking-water programmes, healthcare facilities and worker payments.
The march is scheduled to begin at Azad Maidan on November 3, with the organisers planning to proceed towards Mantralaya to press the Maharashtra government on the pending payments and other demands listed in their statement.
