Around 80 lakh women have become ineligible for the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme after the deadline for e-KYC compliance, triggering sharp criticism from Opposition parties, which accused the Maharashtra government of trimming beneficiaries due to a “severe financial crisis”.
A senior government official on Monday said the number of beneficiaries had dropped from 2.4 crore to nearly 1.7 crore after the April 30 e-KYC deadline. However, the reduction was not solely due to incomplete verification but also linked to eligibility violations.
The official said beneficiaries had been given an eight-month window to complete e-KYC.
“Around 50 to 55 lakh women failed to complete the process entirely, while two to three lakh rectified errors during this period. Additionally, nearly 12 lakh women were found to be income-tax payers exceeding the annual income cap of Rs 2.5 lakh, and over 4.5 lakh had crossed the upper age limit of 65 years,” the official said.
The official added that around five lakh women were already receiving benefits under the Namo Shetkari scheme.
Responding to complaints from women who completed e-KYC but missed monthly instalments, the official said, “The final figure of actual beneficiaries will be clear in a week, and the complaints are being cross-verified.”
The official also rejected claims that 80 lakh women had been removed solely for failing to complete e-KYC.
Opposition leaders, however, linked the drop in beneficiaries to the state’s financial health.
NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil claimed the move reflected a “severe financial crisis” confronting Maharashtra.
He alleged that the scheme, which offers Rs 1,500 monthly assistance to eligible women, had been launched before the 2024 Assembly elections following the ruling Mahayuti alliance’s poor showing in the Lok Sabha polls.
“Now, as many as 80 lakh women beneficiaries have been declared ineligible. This amounts to abandoning the very people who were promised assistance,” he said. The former minister further claimed the decision pointed to growing fiscal stress.
“After the Centre, the state too is facing a major financial crisis. The first blow has fallen on our 'ladki bahins'. The state's fiscal deficit is substantial, and the global economic slowdown has further aggravated the situation,” Patil said, adding that better planning could have prevented the situation.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar also accused the government of gradually reducing the number of beneficiaries with the intention of eventually discontinuing the scheme.
Pawar claimed that while the scheme had 2.47 crore beneficiaries before the Assembly elections, nearly 81 lakh names had now been removed.
“KYC is merely an excuse. The real intention is to remove beneficiaries in phases and eventually shut down the scheme,” he alleged.
“If the government is now calling these women bogus beneficiaries, was it not the government's own failure to implement the scheme without proper KYC verification before the elections?” he asked.
Pawar also cautioned the government against attempting to recover funds from beneficiaries or causing hardship, warning of strong opposition if such measures were taken.
(With inputs from PTI)
