The Maharashtra government’s flagship Ladki Bahin Yojana has seen a major drop in active beneficiaries after nearly 68 lakh accounts were closed due to incomplete e-KYC verification, officials said. The move has reduced the total number of active accounts to around 1.75 crore from 2.43 crore.
The mandatory e-KYC deadline, which ended on March 31, has now been extended to April 30, giving beneficiaries another opportunity to complete the process. Officials indicated that the number of closed accounts may change as more users update their details within the revised timeline.
The verification drive was initiated following complaints that several ineligible individuals—including men and government employees—had availed benefits under the scheme. The programme provides a monthly financial assistance of ₹1,500 to eligible women from economically weaker sections.
Also Watch:
During scrutiny, over 24 lakh beneficiaries were initially flagged as government employees due to confusion caused by a Marathi-language question in the application process. However, after further checks, nearly 20 lakh of these accounts were found to be eligible, while verification of the remaining cases is still underway.
The scheme currently involves a monthly expenditure of about ₹3,700 crore, which is expected to change following the reduction in active beneficiaries. The allocation for 2026–27 has been set at ₹26,000 crore, lower than ₹36,000 crore in the previous fiscal.
Launched ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections, the scheme will continue, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assuring that no recovery will be made from ineligible beneficiaries.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
