Over 14,000 Men Found Among Beneficiaries, Govt Scrambles for Damage Control — Questions Raised on ‘Ladki Bahin’ Scheme Integrity
Over 14,000 Men Found Among Beneficiaries, Govt Scrambles for Damage Control — Questions Raised on 'Ladki Bahin' Scheme Integrity
A major irregularity has shaken the credibility of Maharashtra’s highly publicized Ladki Bahin Yojana, as a government audit has exposed that more than 14,000 men managed to fraudulently enroll themselves in the scheme meant exclusively for women from economically weaker sections. This discovery has sparked public outrage, political backlash, and calls for a high-level investigation into the loopholes that allowed such widespread misuse.
Launched on June 28, 2024, just ahead of the assembly elections, the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme was envisioned as a social welfare lifeline for women aged 21 to 65 from families with annual incomes below ₹2.5 lakh. Beneficiaries are entitled to receive ₹1,500 every month to support their health, nutrition, and overall well-being. The rollout of the scheme—accompanied by the distribution of ₹7,500 to 23.4 million women before the polls—played a pivotal role in the electoral success of the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
However, the rapid implementation appears to have come at a steep cost. According to a recent scrutiny report by the state’s Women and Child Development (WCD) Department, a staggering ₹1,640 crore has been disbursed to ineligible applicants over the past year. Among the most shocking revelations: 14,298 men received payouts under the women-only scheme by misrepresenting their identities. These fraudulent beneficiaries continued to draw funds for 10 months, causing a loss of ₹21.44 crore before authorities identified the anomaly and froze their accounts.
This isn’t the only category of misuse. The audit revealed multiple instances of widespread violations:
Over 797,000 women were registered as the third female members of their households, although the scheme only allows benefits for two women per family. This alone cost the state ₹1,196 crore.
287,000 beneficiaries were above the scheme’s age cap of 65 years, resulting in a loss of ₹431.70 crore. These women should have been covered under other welfare programmes.
162,000 women belonging to families that own four-wheelers—a clear indication of income above the eligibility threshold—were also found to be wrongly enrolled.
The problems were evident within months of launch. In December 2024, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called for a detailed review of all beneficiaries. By January, WCD Minister Aditi Tatkare announced a corrective drive to remove ineligible claimants, which picked up pace in February with the elimination of 500,000 unqualified recipients.
Now, with over 2.6 million accounts under suspension, the department is planning to intensify verification. A senior official, speaking anonymously, said the root of the problem lies in inadequate verification during the online registration process. “Ground-level checks must be mandatory. Online data entry without scrutiny is what allowed this to happen,” the official noted.
To enhance checks going forward, the department plans to work with the Income Tax Department to verify the financial status of applicants, ensuring that only families earning up to ₹2.5 lakh annually receive benefits.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has promised firm action. “This scheme was designed to assist women from underprivileged backgrounds, not men. We will recover the money from the male fraudsters, and if they refuse, strict steps will follow,” he stated.
Echoing his stance, WCD Minister Aditi Tatkare said, “At present, we have halted payments to 2.6 million ineligible accounts. As for those who misled the government, we will decide on the course of action after consultations with the chief minister and both deputy chief ministers.”
Meanwhile, the controversy has given the opposition ample ammunition to attack the ruling coalition. NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Supriya Sule demanded a CBI investigation into the scam. “The government never hesitates to call in the CBI or ED even for minor issues. Now that such a large fraud has come to light, they must order a CBI probe and identify the contractors responsible for enrolling these men,” Sule said.
