Overview
- The State Election Commission barred any advance disbursal of the January instalment and prohibited adding new beneficiaries during the Model Code of Conduct, allowing only regular or pending payments.
- State election commissioner Dinesh Waghmare confirmed there will be no advance payment or new enrolments after the commission sought clarification from Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal.
- Fadnavis said the government will release the January ₹1,500 payment after counting on January 16, departing from the usual practice of festival-time advances.
- The decision followed BJP minister Girish Mahajan’s January 7 post promising a ₹3,000 combined transfer for December and January before Makar Sankranti on January 14.
- Congress leaders Sandesh Kondvilkar and Sachin Sawant alleged the proposed timing was an attempt to influence voters ahead of the January 15 municipal corporation polls, as officials cautioned that some beneficiaries may now face delays.