A case of alleged large-scale fraud has emerged in the Ramai housing scheme in Maharashtra state. Ambadas Danve, leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) and opposition leader in the legislative council, stated that fake documents were created in the names of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to benefit from this program.
Allegations of document forgery
Raising this issue in the legislative council on Tuesday, Danve claimed that mass violations occurred within the Ramai program in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar municipal corporation area. He accused even the son of a Bharatiya Janata Party municipal councilor, whose family, it was alleged, was affluent and did not meet the criteria for participation in the program.
Documents in Fadnavis's name
According to Danve, fake ration cards, municipal tax receipts, and caste certificates were fabricated in the name of Devendra Gangadharava Fadnavis, residing in Rahul Nagar. He also stated that these fake documents showed an unpaid property tax of 185 rupees in Fadnavis's name.
Situation regarding Shinde's name
Furthermore, Danve alleged that a fake food coupon was also created in the name of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, into which the names of his wife, son, MLA Shrikant Shinde, daughter-in-law, and grandson were entered. It was also alleged that a fake caste certificate was prepared in Shinde's name. Danve speculated that some municipal council officials and project management consultants might be involved in this fraud.
Lack of payments under the program
Commenting on this matter, Minister of Social Justice Sanjay Shirsat noted the seriousness of the situation but reported that no beneficiary under this program had received any payment yet. He clarified that 8442 applications were received in 2025, but only 2913 applicants appeared for physical verification. During the verification, applications from people from other states were discovered. Following this, 330 applications underwent thorough scrutiny, and only 221 applicants were deemed eligible for the program. The government stated that the investigation into the entire matter is ongoing, and those found guilty will be held accountable according to the rules.
