Maharashtra removes over 92 lakh beneficiaries from Ladki Bahin Yojana after verification
Maharashtra removed over 92 lakh Ladki Bahin Yojana beneficiaries after verification, with eKYC failures accounting for most exclusions. The exercise reduced beneficiaries to 1.5 crore, lowered the scheme's budget and followed CAG observations on financial management and eligibility checks.
Maharashtra removes over 92 lakh 'Ladki Bahin' beneficiaries after verification, eKYC failures top list.
(HT_PRINT)
The Maharashtra government has removed more than 92 lakh beneficiaries from the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ after a state-wide verification drive. Thus reducing the scheme's total beneficiary base by nearly 38%.
Government records show that the deletions are significantly higher than the roughly 80 lakh removals initially disclosed publicly so far. The name removal exercise has reduced the total number of beneficiaries from about 2.43 crore at its peak to over ₹1.5 crore, The indian Express reported.
Officials have also estimated that beneficiaries who were later found ineligible had already received nearly ₹14,000 crore before payments were stopped. On average, all such beneficiaries received assistance for nearly 10 months. Still, this duration varied depending on when discrepancies were initially detected.
The intensive verification drive found that the majority of exclusions were due to non-compliance with mandatory eKYC requirements, whereas several applicants were declared ineligible under the scheme's strict eligibility norms.
Furthermore, the concerned authorities also identified about 29,000 men and nearly 8,000 government employees who had received benefits even though they were ineligible for the scheme.
Ladki Bahin scheme at a glance
Parameter
Details
Monthly financial assistance
₹1,500
Eligible age group
21-65 years
Income eligibility
Annual family income below ₹2.5 lakh
Current beneficiaries
Over 1.5 crore
Peak beneficiaries
Around 2.43 crore
Estimated amount paid to removed beneficiaries
₹14,000 crore
Total allocations since launch
Over ₹60,000 crore
Other important fundamentals of the Ladki Bahin scheme
This scheme was launched ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. It excludes income-tax payers, government employees, and other beneficiaries of distinct welfare schemes.
After the verification exercise, the state has reduced the scheme’s total allocation from ₹36,000 crore in 2025-26 to ₹26,500 crore, while its pre-election promise to increase monthly assistance from ₹1,500 to ₹2,100 remains unimplemented.
CAG scrutiny hovers over the scheme
The verification findings also come amid intense scrutiny by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which flagged shortcomings in the scheme's financial management and highlighted discrepancies. The audit highlighted excess expenditure of₹3,541 crore, parking of ₹15,586 crore in government deposit accounts without immediate utilisation, and weak budgetary controls, and recommended more accurate beneficiary estimation from the state government for large direct benefit transfer schemes.
Women and Child Development Minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government, Aditi Tatkare, as reported by the Indian Express, said the mandatory eKYC process could not begin immediately due to the 2024 Assembly elections and the Model Code of Conduct. She also explained that beneficiaries were repeatedly given extensions, including until 31 December 2025, to complete eKYC before payments were stopped.
The minister added that the government would recover payments only from male beneficiaries and government employees, in accordance with established protocols, while other ineligible recipients would not be asked to return the money.
