In a first such admission by a minister from the ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra, NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday said that the implementation of CM Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme has affected other government schemes.Under the Ladki Bahin scheme, announced ahead of the last year’s Assembly elections, eligible women get financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month through direct benefit transfer (DBT). Bhujbal, the state’s Food and Civil Supplies Minister, said that all the departments under the state government are facing fund crunch.Bhujbal made the remarks while reacting to reports of the possibility of closure of his department’s Anandacha Shidha scheme.“I feel that the expenditure on the Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme is affecting the implementation of this (Anandacha Shidha). Because almost Rs 40,000 to 45,000 crore are spent on this scheme and if you are to allocate for that, it surely will affect elsewhere. In addition, money will have to be given for compensation packages to flood-affected regions. Therefore, some things cannot be done this year,” said Bhujbal.Story continues below this adBhujbal said that he cannot comment on the future of the scheme. “But one thing is sure that all departments are facing the fund crunch. Departments like PWD and others had a backlog of Rs 84,000 crore. We discussed it in the cabinet that despite us awarding works, the contractors are not doing it. And instead they want us to pay the dues. There are difficulties… if we go on distributing money like this (in the Ladki Bahin scheme), then financial problems will arise,” he said.Aanandacha Shidha scheme was first introduced in 2022 during Diwali, providing four food items at a concessional rate of Rs 100 to families with saffron ration cards, with similar kits being distributed in 2023 and 2024 during festivals.Each time, the cost of the project was Rs 500 crore and the beneficiaries were around 1.6 crore, on an average.Another scheme under his department, Shiv Bhojan Thali, too stands on the verge of being closed.“Yes, it is true. Usually, we need only Rs 140 crore per year to feed two lakh people. But we received only Rs 70 crore. I don’t think the situation will get any better than this,” he said.Story continues below this adUnder the Shiv Bhojan scheme, beneficiaries are provided with a square meal, which contains two chapatis, one bowl vegetable, one bowl dal and one bowl rice to the needy at a subsidised rate of Rs 10. However, the cost of a Shiv Bhojan plate for urban areas is Rs 50 and for rural areas it is Rs 35, and the gap is filled by the government subsidy.The election year sops announced by the previous Mahayuti government has impacted the financial health of Maharashtra, which has led to the rise in revenue expenditure by Rs 87,341.15 crore while the capital expenditure has risen by merely Rs 385.89 crore.According to the state budget 2025-26, the total revenue deficit of the state has risen to Rs 45, 890.86 crore, more than double when compared to Rs 20,050.69 crore of 2025-25 (Budget Estimate).The state stares at a fiscal deficit of Rs 1,36,234.62 crore compared to Rs 1,10,355.22 of 2024-25 (BE).In the run-up to the Assembly elections, the state government had rolled out a series of schemes, including the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the Annapurna Yojana, free professional education for girls, the Teerth Darshan Yojana, and a power bill waiver for farmers.Story continues below this adThe ruling Mahayuti had made a poll promise to increase the amount Ladki Bahinscheme to Rs 2,100 per month. With dwindling finances, the government has yet not fulfilled the promise.