The Maharashtra government has removed more than 92 lakh beneficiaries of its Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana after a state-wide verification, as per an Indian Express report. The update came even as the Comptroller and Auditor General flagged excess expenditure of Rs 3,541.16 crore and budgetary lapses in the scheme. The monthly payment scheme launched in June 2024 had also come under scrutiny last year after it was discovered that Rs 21.44 crore was disbursed to 14,298 men through fraudulent registrations.
The Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana has provided eligible women aged between 21 and 65 years with a monthly payout of Rs 1,500 via Direct Benefit Transfer for more than two years. The flagship scheme was considered one of the primary reasons behind the Mahayuti (comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP) sweeping the Maharashtra assembly polls in November 2024. Recent reports indicate that the scheme currently has 1.66 crore active beneficiaries.
Maharashtra drops 38% of beneficiaries
According to government records accessed by Indian Express, nearly four out of every 10 women enrolled in the scheme have been removed. The figure is significantly higher than the approximately 80 lakh deletions that have been publicly disclosed by the state government.
Nearly 62 lakh names were removed after they failed to complete the mandatory electronic KYC process. Others were found ineligible because they exceeded the scheme’s income ceiling, were government employees, were already receiving benefits under other welfare schemes, or above the age limit. About 29,000 beneficiaries were also declared ineligible after being found to be men.
Scheme raises women welfare budget up by about 12,700% in a year: CAG
A recent report from the Comptroller and Auditor General also noted a sharp increase in welfare expenditures following the introduction of this scheme. The CAG State Finances Audit Report 2024-25 was tabled in the Maharashtra state legislature on Friday and outlined a staggering 12,717.77% increase within one year. Put more simply, the funding in 2024-25 is roughly 128 times what it was the previous year with the ladki Bahin scheme playing a pivotal role. The CAG also noted that the Women and Child Development Department did not provide any specific justification for the substantial excess expenditure..
“The sharp rise was observed under Women welfare from Rs 261.78 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 33,554.36 crore in 2024-25 especially under the scheme ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Behen Yojana’ which reflects a major push toward welfare-oriented transfers rather than capital formation,” it said.
The report also flagged a significant decrease in expenditure for housing as well as water supply and sanitation in 2025 — “highlighting a contraction in infrastructure-related investments within the social sector, which could adversely affect the sustainability of service delivery”.