Now Reading: Ladki Bahin Yojana spent Rs 9,605 crore on ineligible beneficiaries
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Ladki Bahin Yojana spent Rs 9,605 crore on ineligible beneficiaries
The Maharashtra government disbursed Rs 9,605 crore to 92 lakh ineligible beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana until June 2026, according to a Right to Information reply obtained by Hindustan Times, as reported by Livemint. The scheme, launched in August 2024 ahead of the assembly elections, provides Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women aged 21-65 from financially weaker sections.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, as reported by India Today, alleged that the Mahayuti government dropped 92.10 lakh women from the scheme after using them for electoral gains. He said the beneficiary count fell from 2.48 crore to 1.65 crore after e-KYC verification. The government has said removals were due to incomplete e-KYC and income criteria, and plans to recover money only from the 4.5 lakh government employees among the ineligible beneficiaries.
The RTI data, cited by Livemint, shows 62 lakh beneficiaries were removed for not completing e-KYC, 16 lakh for exceeding the income cutoff, 3.6 lakh for receiving benefits under another scheme, and 2.5 lakh because multiple women from one household had enrolled. Currently, 1.65 crore women remain eligible under the scheme.
Indian Opinion Analysis
India Today's coverage centres on Congress accusations of electoral manipulation and government negligence, while Livemint focuses on the RTI data quantifying the scale of irregular payments and the government's limited recovery plan. India Today omits the government's argument that most removals were procedural and not fraudulent. Livemint underplays the political challenge to the scheme's credibility. The measured takeaway is that the Rs 9,605 crore figure is undisputed, but the government's decision not to recover from most beneficiaries will sustain political heat. Watch for the Maharashtra assembly's next session and any opposition motions on the recovery plan.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral
Sources (2): indiatoday.in (government critical), livemint.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
