Maharashtra's Ladki Bahin Scheme: Over 92 Lakh Women Removed After Verification, 1.67 Crore Remain Eligible

Mumbai, July 13, 2026: More than 92 lakh beneficiaries have been removed from Maharashtra's flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana following an extensive verification drive, with the state government attributing the reduction to e-KYC non-compliance and eligibility-related discrepancies.

Verification Drive Reduces Beneficiaries

The scheme initially had around 2.63 crore registrations, of which nearly 2.43-2.47 crore women were considered eligible in the first phase. However, after the completion of the verification process, the number of eligible beneficiaries has come down to about 1.67 crore to 1.70 crore, Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare said.

Addressing the media, Tatkare clarified that nearly 60 lakh women failed to complete the mandatory e-KYC process despite the government providing multiple opportunities since August 2025. Beneficiaries were initially given six months to complete the exercise, while additional time until April 2026 was granted to rectify errors and complete pending formalities.

Apart from e-KYC issues, verification revealed that around 14-15 lakh beneficiaries were ineligible because either they or their family members had an annual income exceeding the scheme's prescribed limit of Rs 2.5 lakh.

Another 4.5 to 5 lakh applicants were found ineligible due to vehicle ownership, while data shared by the Income Tax Department also identified several ineligible beneficiaries. Tatkare added that complaints from women who completed e-KYC but are yet to receive benefits are currently being verified.

Recovery Process Underway

Refuting reports that Beed district recorded the highest number of deletions, the minister termed such claims misleading. She said Beed has a population of around 32 lakh, making reports of 28 lakh beneficiaries being declared ineligible factually incorrect. According to her, around 6.5 lakh women had registered under the scheme in the district, of whom nearly four to 4.5 lakh continue to receive benefits.

Tatkare also confirmed that the government has initiated the process of recovering funds from male beneficiaries who wrongly availed themselves of benefits under the women-centric scheme.

She said a proposal has been prepared by the Women and Child Development Department, in line with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' announcement that ineligible male beneficiaries would be required to refund the money.

Recovery from ineligible government employees had already begun several months ago, with the recovered amount being deposited into the state treasury.

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CAG Flags Financial Burden

Meanwhile, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in a report tabled last week, cautioned that the financial burden of the Ladki Bahin scheme could put additional pressure on the state's finances. The audit report also questioned expenditure of Rs 3,541 crore under the scheme, stating that the spending lacked adequate justification.

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