92 Lakh Women Dropped from Maharashtra’s Ladki Bahin Scheme
e-KYC failures, income limits and eligibility violations lead to sharp reduction in beneficiaries
- Maharashtra removes over 92 lakh beneficiaries from Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana.
- Most exclusions linked to incomplete e-KYC and eligibility criteria.
- Government says final beneficiary list will be prepared after re-verification.
- CAG flags the scheme’s financial impact on the state’s finances.
GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 13th July: The Maharashtra government has removed more than 92 lakh women from the beneficiary list of the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana following an extensive verification exercise, significantly reducing the number of beneficiaries under the flagship welfare scheme.
According to official figures, the beneficiary count has declined from the initial 2.4 crore to nearly 1.48 crore, representing a reduction of about 38 per cent.
Officials said the exclusions were based on multiple eligibility parameters and not merely the mandatory e-KYC verification. Around 50 to 55 lakh women were removed after failing to complete the e-KYC process within the prescribed deadline despite being given nearly eight months to do so.
Another 12 lakh women were found to have annual family incomes exceeding the scheme’s prescribed limit, while more than 4.5 lakh women were above the maximum eligible age of 65 years. Authorities also removed around 14,000 men who had allegedly attempted to avail benefits under the scheme.
Officials further said nearly 5 lakh women were already receiving assistance under the Namo Shetkari Yojana, making them ineligible under the Ladki Bahin scheme.
The highest number of exclusions was reported from Beed district, where nearly 28 lakh beneficiaries were removed during the verification process.
A senior government official said the final beneficiary count would be determined only after a re-verification exercise. Complaints from women claiming they were wrongly removed are also being examined.
Meanwhile, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in a report released last week, cautioned that expenditure on the scheme could place a significant burden on Maharashtra’s finances. The report questioned expenditure of ₹3,541 crore under the scheme and observed that spending on women’s welfare had risen sharply from ₹261.78 crore in 2023-24 to ₹33,554.36 crore in 2024-25.
The Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana was approved by the Maharashtra government on June 28, 2024, to provide financial assistance to eligible women across the state.
