Ladki Bahin Yojana: Numerous schemes are being implemented by both the Central and State governments to assist women. The objective of these government schemes is not only to provide financial assistance to women but also to empower them to become self-reliant. The ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’ is one such initiative being administered by the Government of Maharashtra. It is considered to be a highly popular scheme within the state.
However, this scheme has recently become a contentious issue, heating the state’s political landscape. Approximately 8 million (80 lakh) women beneficiaries of the scheme have been declared ineligible. Opposition parties have launched a scathing attack on the government over this move. Opposition leaders allege that while benefits under the scheme were distributed to women on a massive scale during the Assembly elections, the number of beneficiaries is now being drastically reduced immediately after the elections have concluded. The government, however, maintains that its rationale is simply to weed out ineligible individuals.
Decline in the Number of Eligible Beneficiaries
According to reports, more than 24.6 million (2.46 crore) women across the state had registered for the Ladki Bahin Yojana following its inception. However, after verification processes—including e-KYC, income limit checks, and other eligibility criteria—the number of eligible beneficiaries has now dropped to 1.66 million (16.6 lakh). Consequently, nearly 8 million women have been removed from the scheme.
Beneficiaries Excluded During e-KYC Drive
According to government records, an e-KYC drive was conducted to verify and identify ineligible beneficiaries, with April 30th set as the final deadline. While many women requested an extension of this deadline, officials maintain that beneficiaries were provided with ample time to complete the necessary procedures.
Citing government officials, a report stated that a significant number of the women whose names were removed from the list were those who either failed to complete their e-KYC verification or did not update their documents within the stipulated timeframe.
e-KYC Verification Incomplete for 5.5 Million Women
According to officials, “Approximately 5 to 5.5 million women failed to complete this process altogether, whereas 200,000 to 300,000 women rectified errors in their applications during this period.” Furthermore, approximately 1.2 million women were identified as income taxpayers—exceeding the annual income threshold of ₹2.5 lakh—and over 450,000 women had crossed the maximum age limit of 65 years.
He also noted that around 500,000 women are already availing the benefits of the Namo Shetkari Scheme. Addressing complaints regarding the non-receipt of monthly instalments despite the completion of ‘e-KYC’, the official stated, “The final count of actual beneficiaries will become clear within a week, and the complaints are currently undergoing re-verification.
