Maharashtra's Ladki Bahin scheme faces fresh heat as women allege payments stopped
With Rakhi approaching, thousands of women say the Rs 1,500 they depended on has suddenly stopped. As the government cites verification, a CAG report and ground reality raise uncomfortable questions.
Ahead of Raksha Bandhan, Maharashtra's flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana has landed in the middle of a political storm, with thousands of women claiming their monthly Rs 1,500 assistance has suddenly stopped. The controversy comes amid reports that nearly 92 lakh beneficiaries are being removed from the scheme and a CAG report flagging financial irregularities worth over Rs 3,500 crore, raising fresh questions over one of the Mahayuti government's biggest election promises.
An India Today ground report from Akola paints a striking picture. Two women living in the same slum, with nearly identical financial backgrounds, have had vastly different experiences under the scheme. One continues to receive the monthly assistance that keeps her household running, while the other's payments stopped three months ago despite repeated visits to banks and government offices.
TWO NEIGHBOURS, TWO DIFFERENT REALITIES
In Maruti Nagar slum in Akola, Sangeeta Gedam says the Rs 1,500 assistance has become a lifeline for her family. Her husband works at a sawmill and the money helps pay for groceries and daily household expenses.
"This Rs 1,500 runs my kitchen. It is a big support," she said.
However, she also questioned why the government's election promise of increasing the monthly assistance to Rs 2,100 has not materialised.
"During elections, they promised Rs 2,100. Where is that money now?" she asked.
Just a few lanes away lives Poonam Kauskar, whose husband drives an auto-rickshaw. Like Sangeeta, Poonam had been receiving the monthly assistance until it abruptly stopped three months ago.
"For three months, my money has stopped. I completed my e-KYC, but the bank sends me to the department, and the department sends me back," she said.
"Was this scheme only active till election day?"
Poonam said the money helped pay for LPG cylinders, her children's education and household expenses. Despite completing the required formalities, she says no one has explained why her payments have been stopped.
With Raksha Bandhan approaching, she appealed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to restore the assistance.
CAG FLAGS Rs 3,541 CRORE IRREGULARITY
The political row intensified after the Comptroller and Auditor General flagged major financial irregularities in the implementation of the scheme.
According to the audit, the government spent Rs 3,541 crore beyond the sanctioned budget. The report also found that Rs 15,586 crore was parked in Virtual Personal Deposit Accounts without any immediate requirement, raising concerns over financial management and budgetary discipline.
The findings have handed fresh ammunition to the Opposition.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant alleged the scheme was used to influence voters during the Assembly elections.
"They removed 92 lakh sisters. This means they bribed nearly 2.7 crore voters to win the election. This scheme was nothing but a transactional political gimmick. Will the government survive if these voters reject them now?" he said.
GOVERNMENT SAYS ELIGIBLE WOMEN WILL NOT SUFFER
Rejecting reports that large numbers of eligible women were being arbitrarily removed from the scheme, Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare said the ongoing verification drive was aimed at identifying ineligible applicants and ensuring benefits reached genuine beneficiaries.
"We started the e-KYC process in August 2025 and extended the deadlines several times until December 31. Women were also given time until April to rectify documentation errors. We are diligently cross-verifying all records to ensure that no eligible woman who completed her e-KYC faces any injustice," she said.
According to Tatkare, around 8 lakh women are yet to complete e-KYC. The verification exercise has identified 14 to 15 lakh applicants whose family members pay income tax and another 4.5 to 5 lakh applicants linked to four-wheeler ownership, making them ineligible under the scheme.
She also dismissed reports claiming 28 lakh women had been removed from the scheme in Beed district.
"The entire population of Beed is around 30 to 32 lakh. The district had only about 6.5 lakh registrations under the scheme, of which 4 to 4.5 lakh eligible women are already receiving benefits," she said.
Tatkare said the state had received 2.63 crore registrations for the scheme. After integrating data from the Income Tax Department, Regional Transport Offices and e-KYC records, the number of eligible beneficiaries now stands at 1.67 crore to 1.70 crore women.
"This process is mandatory and essential to ensure that benefits reach the rightful citizens. For all Direct Benefit Transfer schemes, including disaster relief compensation, e-KYC compliance has now become mandatory," she said.
The minister added that complaints from women who have completed e-KYC but continue to face issues are being examined individually. However, applicants who own vehicles, fall under the income tax category or fail to meet the eligibility criteria will not continue receiving benefits.
When India Today contacted Akola District Women and Child Development Officer Hanumant Hagawane, he shared the government's eligibility guidelines.
According to the norms, families with an annual income exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh, income taxpayers, government employees, pensioners, MPs, MLAs, beneficiaries of certain other government welfare schemes, those owning more than five acres of agricultural land or four-wheelers, excluding tractors, are not eligible.
BJP LEADER BLAMES BUREAUCRACY
Former Maharashtra Finance Minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar claimed some bureaucrats were trying to derail the government's flagship welfare scheme.
"Some bureaucrats are using the CAG to defame this scheme and shut it down. If this scheme stops, the government stops. If the state can bear thousands of crores for government employee salaries, why target our poor sisters?" he said.
QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN
The biggest question emerging from the ground is why two women with almost identical economic backgrounds have had completely different experiences under the same welfare scheme.
While Sangeeta continues to receive the monthly assistance, Poonam's payments remain suspended despite completing e-KYC and repeatedly approaching banks and government offices.
With Raksha Bandhan just around the corner, thousands of women are waiting for clarity. The government insists it is cleaning up the beneficiary database to eliminate ineligible applicants, but for many families, the issue is no longer just about Rs 1,500 a month. It is about whether a scheme launched with much fanfare before the Assembly elections will continue to support the women it promised to help.
Ahead of Raksha Bandhan, Maharashtra's flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana has landed in the middle of a political storm, with thousands of women claiming their monthly Rs 1,500 assistance has suddenly stopped. The controversy comes amid reports that nearly 92 lakh beneficiaries are being removed from the scheme and a CAG report flagging financial irregularities worth over Rs 3,500 crore, raising fresh questions over one of the Mahayuti government's biggest election promises.
An India Today ground report from Akola paints a striking picture. Two women living in the same slum, with nearly identical financial backgrounds, have had vastly different experiences under the scheme. One continues to receive the monthly assistance that keeps her household running, while the other's payments stopped three months ago despite repeated visits to banks and government offices.
TWO NEIGHBOURS, TWO DIFFERENT REALITIES
In Maruti Nagar slum in Akola, Sangeeta Gedam says the Rs 1,500 assistance has become a lifeline for her family. Her husband works at a sawmill and the money helps pay for groceries and daily household expenses.
"This Rs 1,500 runs my kitchen. It is a big support," she said.
However, she also questioned why the government's election promise of increasing the monthly assistance to Rs 2,100 has not materialised.
"During elections, they promised Rs 2,100. Where is that money now?" she asked.
Just a few lanes away lives Poonam Kauskar, whose husband drives an auto-rickshaw. Like Sangeeta, Poonam had been receiving the monthly assistance until it abruptly stopped three months ago.
"For three months, my money has stopped. I completed my e-KYC, but the bank sends me to the department, and the department sends me back," she said.
"Was this scheme only active till election day?"
Poonam said the money helped pay for LPG cylinders, her children's education and household expenses. Despite completing the required formalities, she says no one has explained why her payments have been stopped.
With Raksha Bandhan approaching, she appealed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to restore the assistance.
CAG FLAGS Rs 3,541 CRORE IRREGULARITY
The political row intensified after the Comptroller and Auditor General flagged major financial irregularities in the implementation of the scheme.
According to the audit, the government spent Rs 3,541 crore beyond the sanctioned budget. The report also found that Rs 15,586 crore was parked in Virtual Personal Deposit Accounts without any immediate requirement, raising concerns over financial management and budgetary discipline.
The findings have handed fresh ammunition to the Opposition.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant alleged the scheme was used to influence voters during the Assembly elections.
"They removed 92 lakh sisters. This means they bribed nearly 2.7 crore voters to win the election. This scheme was nothing but a transactional political gimmick. Will the government survive if these voters reject them now?" he said.
GOVERNMENT SAYS ELIGIBLE WOMEN WILL NOT SUFFER
Rejecting reports that large numbers of eligible women were being arbitrarily removed from the scheme, Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare said the ongoing verification drive was aimed at identifying ineligible applicants and ensuring benefits reached genuine beneficiaries.
"We started the e-KYC process in August 2025 and extended the deadlines several times until December 31. Women were also given time until April to rectify documentation errors. We are diligently cross-verifying all records to ensure that no eligible woman who completed her e-KYC faces any injustice," she said.
According to Tatkare, around 8 lakh women are yet to complete e-KYC. The verification exercise has identified 14 to 15 lakh applicants whose family members pay income tax and another 4.5 to 5 lakh applicants linked to four-wheeler ownership, making them ineligible under the scheme.
She also dismissed reports claiming 28 lakh women had been removed from the scheme in Beed district.
"The entire population of Beed is around 30 to 32 lakh. The district had only about 6.5 lakh registrations under the scheme, of which 4 to 4.5 lakh eligible women are already receiving benefits," she said.
Tatkare said the state had received 2.63 crore registrations for the scheme. After integrating data from the Income Tax Department, Regional Transport Offices and e-KYC records, the number of eligible beneficiaries now stands at 1.67 crore to 1.70 crore women.
"This process is mandatory and essential to ensure that benefits reach the rightful citizens. For all Direct Benefit Transfer schemes, including disaster relief compensation, e-KYC compliance has now become mandatory," she said.
The minister added that complaints from women who have completed e-KYC but continue to face issues are being examined individually. However, applicants who own vehicles, fall under the income tax category or fail to meet the eligibility criteria will not continue receiving benefits.
When India Today contacted Akola District Women and Child Development Officer Hanumant Hagawane, he shared the government's eligibility guidelines.
According to the norms, families with an annual income exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh, income taxpayers, government employees, pensioners, MPs, MLAs, beneficiaries of certain other government welfare schemes, those owning more than five acres of agricultural land or four-wheelers, excluding tractors, are not eligible.
BJP LEADER BLAMES BUREAUCRACY
Former Maharashtra Finance Minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar claimed some bureaucrats were trying to derail the government's flagship welfare scheme.
"Some bureaucrats are using the CAG to defame this scheme and shut it down. If this scheme stops, the government stops. If the state can bear thousands of crores for government employee salaries, why target our poor sisters?" he said.
QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN
The biggest question emerging from the ground is why two women with almost identical economic backgrounds have had completely different experiences under the same welfare scheme.
While Sangeeta continues to receive the monthly assistance, Poonam's payments remain suspended despite completing e-KYC and repeatedly approaching banks and government offices.
With Raksha Bandhan just around the corner, thousands of women are waiting for clarity. The government insists it is cleaning up the beneficiary database to eliminate ineligible applicants, but for many families, the issue is no longer just about Rs 1,500 a month. It is about whether a scheme launched with much fanfare before the Assembly elections will continue to support the women it promised to help.
