13 July,2026 08:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Aditi Tatkare said that when the scheme was launched, around 2.63 crore women had registered for benefits. File Pic
Around 81 lakh registered beneficiaries have been removed from Maharashtra's Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana after a detailed e-KYC verification process, Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare said on Monday, reported the PTI.
The minister said the exercise was carried out to identify and remove ineligible registrations, including those belonging to income taxpayers and families of government employees who do not qualify for the scheme.
Tatkare said that when the scheme was launched, around 2.63 crore women had registered for benefits.
Of these, 2.47 crore women received monthly financial assistance under the scheme before the verification process began.
The minister said the beneficiary count later reduced to around 1.67 crore to 1.7 crore after the e-KYC drive.
She clarified that the difference between the original registration figure and the current beneficiary count included those who were found ineligible from the beginning, as per the PTI.
According to Tatkare, several categories of registrations were removed during the verification process. She said:
- Around 62 lakh women who received benefits did not complete e-KYC despite repeated extensions.
- Around 16 lakh beneficiaries exceeded the annual family income limit of Rs 2.5 lakh.
- Around 4.42 lakh beneficiaries were found ineligible as their family members were government employees.
She added that some men and government employees had also registered under the scheme and received benefits, the news agency reported.
The Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, announced on June 28, 2024, aims to provide financial support to eligible women in Maharashtra.
Under the scheme, women aged between 21 and 65 years who meet the eligibility criteria receive Rs 1,500 per month through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), according to the PTI.
The e-KYC verification process began in August 2025, with beneficiaries given several months to complete the procedure and correct any issues.
The removal of beneficiaries has triggered criticism from opposition parties, who have alleged irregularities in the scheme's implementation.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal questioned the government's spending on the scheme and alleged that additional expenditure was made without proper records, reported the PTI.
Mumbai Congress chief and MP Varsha Gaikwad questioned why women were initially included and later removed from the scheme.
"If these women were ineligible, why were they given benefits till now? And if they were eligible, why have they now been removed?" she asked.
NCP (SP) spokesperson Ravikant Varpe alleged that lakhs of women had been removed after the elections and questioned the timing of the verification process, as per the PTI.
MNS spokesperson Anil Shidore also criticised the development, claiming that the removal of beneficiaries raised questions over the implementation and financial management of the scheme.
The Maharashtra government has maintained that the verification process was necessary to ensure that only eligible beneficiaries continue receiving benefits.
(with PTI inputs)
