Ladki Bahin scheme: Maharashtra government prepares to reduce beneficiary list
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The benefits are coming to an end for some women who were included in the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana despite not qualifying for it. On Thursday, Aditi Tatkare, the Minister for Women and Child Development, announced that the government would soon start reviewing the list to remove names that shouldn’t be there.
The Mahayuti government introduced the Ladki Bahin scheme in June 2024, aiming to attract voters ahead of the assembly elections. The scheme promised ₹1500 monthly to women from families with annual incomes below ₹2.5 lakh, with a potential increase to ₹2100 per month if they were re-elected. This initiative was launched five months ago.
At that time, Finance Minister Ajit Pawar indicated that supporting 2.47 crore beneficiaries would cost the state ₹46,000 crore. The finance department raised concerns about the financial implications of the scheme, warning that it could strain the state’s resources and potentially hinder the ability to pay government salaries in the near future. The inclusion of many women from affluent families in the beneficiary list was highlighted both before and during last year’s assembly elections.
Following the significant victory of the Mahayuti coalition, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took office and announced a review of the beneficiary list for a specific scheme.
So far, 2.47 crore women have each received ₹7500 for five months, from July to November, and they have begun receiving their sixth installment for December.
After a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Tatkare stated that the state government will initiate a review of the Ladki Bahin beneficiary list. An order has been issued regarding the eligibility criteria, which remains the same. This review is necessary to ensure that only women from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with a family income below ₹2.5 lakh per year, receive funds from the scheme.
To refine the list, the government will collaborate with the income tax department to verify the family income of each applicant. Women from families that own cars, those who have moved out of the state after marriage, and those whose names do not match on Aadhaar cards and bank accounts will be considered ineligible for future payments.
