Maharashtra: More than 14,000 men received payout under Ladki Bahin scheme, says government report

More than 14,000 men in Maharashtra allegedly received a monthly payout under the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana for 10 months, the Hindustan Times reported on Sunday, citing a recent review of the scheme by the state government.

The Women and Child Development Department said that 14,298 men had enrolled in the scheme by misrepresenting their identities.

This led to a loss of Rs 21.44 crore to the state exchequer, the newspaper reported. Payments to their accounts have since been stopped.

The scheme, launched in June 2024, provides a monthly transfer of Rs 1,500 to women aged 21 to 65 whose families earn less than Rs 2.5 lakh a year.

The Ladki Bahin scheme is said to have played a key role in the Mahayuti alliance winning 230 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly in November.

The coalition comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party group led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

The scheme has sparked controversy due to the strain it has placed on the state’s finances. Monthly scrutiny exercises have also flagged numerous instances of ineligible enrolments under the scheme.

The state government currently spends Rs 3,700 crore to disburse the benefits to 2.41 crore beneficiaries each month under the scheme, the Hindustan Times reported.

On Saturday,...

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