Maharashtra’s Ladki Bahin Yojana: Beneficiaries down by 5 lakh in a month following govt scrutiny, says report

Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan recently said 2.46 crore women have been provided a collective assistance of Rs 21,000 crore

Total beneficiaries of the Maharashtra government’s flagship initiative Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana have declined by 5 lakh over just one month, according to a report by Times of India.

Officials said in December last year, there were 2.46 crore beneficiaries who received a stipend of Rs 1,500 each. However, in January 2025, the number reduced to 2.41 crore.

According to the TOI report, one of the reasons for the decline is that almost 1.5 lakh beneficiaries over the age of 65 years have been removed from the beneficiary list since they are beyond the age limit of the scheme. Also, around 2 lakh beneficiaries under Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana, which also provides a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500 per month, have been reportedly removed from the scheme. Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana is meant for widows, the disabled, patients, destitute and divorced individuals.

Other welfare programmes have also been reportedly impacted by the scheme, which was primarily launched to woo women voters. Recently, the state also discontinued the distribution of eggs to students of government schools under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. The state had allotted Rs 50 crore for the scheme, but now schools have been asked to seek public sponsorship for distributing eggs. The scheme was introduced in November 2023 to address the issue of protein deficiency in students.

The scheme was initiated on the lines of Madhya Pradesh’s Laadli Bahan Yojana by the BJP government. Observing the electoral benefits of the scheme, it was also launched in Maharashtra. The state government has now tasked district officials with detecting cases where non-eligible women are receiving benefits under the scheme.

The scrutiny is based on the following criteria including whether they fit the limit of Rs 2.5 lakh family income per year, if they remain domiciled in the state and if there is a mismatch in the name on their Aadhaar and bank account. Those with four-wheel vehicles and government jobs will also be debarred from the scheme, stated the TOI report.

Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan recently said 2.46 crore women have been provided a collective assistance of Rs 21,000 crore under the government's Ladki Bahin scheme.

According to TOI, the Centre has been under pressure to cut down expenses after its pre-poll welfare schemes including Ladki Bahin Yojana led to its debt burden going up to Rs 7.8 lakh crore. In addition, the state sought supplementary demands worth 1.3 lakh crore for unplanned expenses.