Ladki Bahin Yojana: The Maharashtra government’s “Chief Minister’s Ladki Bahin Yojana” has provided financial support to millions of women. However, the government now fears that some people are exploiting the scheme inappropriately. Therefore, the rules have been changed.

According to a report, previously, only the female beneficiary’s income was considered. However, the government has now clarified that married women will require e-KYC for their husbands and unmarried women will require e-KYC for their fathers. If the total annual income of a woman and her husband or father exceeds ₹2.5 lakh, they will be excluded from the scheme.

Why was this decision taken?

The government says that many women work domestically or have menial jobs, making their income appear low, while their husbands or fathers earn more. In such cases, the benefits of the scheme are not reaching the truly needy.

How to do e-KYC?

  1. The government has created an official website for this https://ladakibahin.maharashtra.gov.in/ekyc.
  2. A form will open on the website, enter your Aadhaar number in it, carefully fill the captcha code shown below and then click on ‘Send OTP’.
  3. An OTP will be sent to the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar. Enter it in the form, then click ‘Submit.’
  4. If your KYC isn’t complete, the next page will open. Here, you’ll need to enter your husband’s (if married) or father’s (if unmarried) Aadhaar number. Then, repeat the same OTP process.
  5. Now select your caste category and fill out a declaration stating that no one in the family is in a government job or receiving a pension. Only one married woman and one unmarried woman in the family are taking advantage of the scheme.
    After filling all the details correctly, a message will appear on the screen “Success – Your e-KYC has been completed successfully”.

Why is e-KYC so important?

The government has clarified that e-KYC is not a mere formality. Its purpose is to determine who is truly eligible for the scheme and who is not. Previously, funds were transferred solely in the woman’s name, but it was often observed that fake names were receiving benefits instead of the truly needy.

Now that information about the husband or father is also being requested, it will be easier to accurately calculate the family’s total income. Apart from this, now every woman will have to update her documents every year, to ensure that the help reaches the right account and no one can take undue advantage.

What direct benefit will women get?

Women who complete their e-KYC and meet the scheme’s criteria receive a monthly direct transfer of ₹ 1,500 into their bank accounts. This makes household expenses easier, and women don’t have to rely on others for their needs.