Maharashtra Government To Probe 26 Lakh 'Suspect' Beneficiaries Of Ladki Bahin Yojana

The Maharashtra government has ordered a large-scale verification drive targeting over 26 lakh beneficiaries of the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana amid suspicions of widespread ineligibility and misuse, state Women and Child Development department officials said on Saturday.

District administrations have been directed to physically verify applications and eligibility of the listed women based on set criteria, while anganwadi workers have been tasked with conducting door-to-door checks to weed out ineligible claimants, they said.

The scheme allows only two women per household between the ages of 21 and 65 to receive benefits, but officials said cases have emerged where more than two women from the same family, or those outside the age bracket, have availed themselves of the monthly payment of Rs 1,500.

According to the department's officials, the current scrutiny focuses on two primary conditions, namely age and number of beneficiaries per household.

"Women found outside the eligible age group will be disqualified, and in households with more than two beneficiaries, only two will remain eligible. Additional checks are being conducted for bogus documents, false transfer certificates, and ownership of four-wheelers." an official said.

Launched by the then Mahayuti government last year, the Ladki Bahin Yojana is credited with helping the ruling alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, retain power comprehensively in the November 2024 assembly polls.

Earlier reports revealed that around 14,000 men had received payments, amounting to more than Rs 21 crore, under the scheme for up to 10 months. In a separate probe, more than 2,000 government employees were found to have taken undue advantage of the scheme.

"The ongoing verification will also cover Jalna district, where 70,000 beneficiaries are under scrutiny. The WCD department has prepared a list of suspected ineligible claimants, and field checks have already begun in several districts." the official said.

The department indicated the verification is also being driven by the mounting financial burden of the scheme on the state exchequer as applications were approved initially without stringent checks in the run-up to the Assembly elections.