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

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.