Maharashtra to remove more than 92 thousand beneficiaries from Ladki Bahin Yojana after verification | Today’s news
Maharashtra State Government has withdrawn more than 92 thousand beneficiaries from ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ after a nationwide verification drive. This reduced the scheme’s total beneficiary base by almost 38%.
Government records show that the deletion is significantly higher than the roughly 80 million removals originally made public so far. The removal of the name reduced the total number of beneficiaries from about 2.43 million at its peak to more than ₹1.5 million, This was reported by Indian Express.
Officials also estimated that recipients who were later found to be ineligible had almost received it ₹14,000 crore before the payments were stopped. On average, all these beneficiaries received assistance for almost 10 months. However, this time varied depending on when the irregularities were originally discovered.
Why were 92,000 recipients removed?
Intensive verification revealed that most exclusions were due to non-compliance with mandatory eKYC requirements, while several applicants were declared ineligible under the program’s strict eligibility norms.
In addition, the concerned authorities also identified about 29,000 men and nearly 8,000 civil servants who were receiving benefits even though they were not eligible for the scheme.
Other important basics of Ladki Bahin scheme
This system was launched ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024. It excludes income tax payers, government employees and other beneficiaries of various welfare schemes.
After the verification, the state reduced the total allocation of the system from ₹36,000 crore in 2025-26 ₹26,500 crore, while his election promise to increase the monthly assistance from ₹1,500 up to ₹2,100 remain unimplemented.
A CAG control hovers over the diagram
The verification findings also come amid intense scrutiny by the Comptroller General and Auditor General (CAG), which has highlighted weaknesses in the system’s financial management and highlighted irregularities. The audit pointed to excessive spending₹3,541 crore”> ₹3,541 croresparking from ₹15,586 crore in government deposit accounts without immediate use and weak budgetary control and recommended a more accurate estimate of beneficiaries from the state government for large direct benefit transfer schemes.
Minister for the Development of Women and Children v Devendra FadnavisThe Aditi Tatkare-led government, as reported by the Indian Express, said the mandatory eKYC process could not start immediately because of the 2024 assembly elections and the Model Code of Conduct. It also explained that beneficiaries have been repeatedly given extensions, even up to December 31, 2025, to complete eKYC before payments are stopped.
The minister added that the government will only recover payments from male beneficiaries and government employees, in accordance with the established protocolswhile other ineligible beneficiaries would not be asked to repay the money.
