The Maharashtra government has announced an investigation into bogus beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin Yojana after complaints surfaced. Data from the Income Tax and Transport departments will be used to verify claims
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The Maharashtra government has decided to investigate allegations of bogus beneficiaries of the 'Ladki Bahin Yojana', following complaints received from various quarters. As per PTI, the Women and Child Development Minister, Aditi Tatkare, announced that the government would only address the complaints related to fraudulent beneficiaries and would not undertake a blanket scrutiny of the scheme's recipients.
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Launched by the previous Eknath Shinde-led government in August last year, the Mukyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana was designed to provide a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 to eligible women. The scheme, which was instrumental in the victory of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the November 20 elections, has now come under scrutiny after allegations of misuse surfaced.
Minister Tatkare clarified that there would be no blanket review of the beneficiaries, explaining that the government would focus on complaints filed with local authorities. "The Maharashtra government is not conducting any drive to scrutinise the beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin Yojana. We are not altering any government policies. We are only responding to the complaints filed with local government offices," she said.
The complaints, as per PTI reports, include issues such as beneficiaries having an annual income exceeding the set threshold of Rs 2.5 lakh or owning a four-wheeler. The state government has now sought data from the Income Tax Department and the State Transport Department to verify these claims. "Once we receive this data, we will be able to address those complaints," Minister Tatkare added.
In response to questions about how many of the 2.5 crore beneficiaries could potentially be removed from the scheme, Tatkare stated that it was difficult to estimate at this stage. "We do not have any data about how many beneficiaries will be omitted from the scheme. It is not available in percentage either. We need some time to get a fair idea about it," she explained.
Other issues highlighted in the complaints include Aadhaar mismatches and applications being submitted multiple times, as well as discrepancies regarding domicile status. Some beneficiaries reportedly moved out of Maharashtra after marriage, for example, relocating to Karnataka. "Local officials have received reports of beneficiaries submitting false documents to claim benefits," Tatkare said.
The minister also noted that some women had opted to withdraw from the scheme after securing government jobs. Additionally, if a woman is already receiving financial support from another government scheme, she will only be entitled to the balance amount under the Ladki Bahin Yojana. For example, a woman receiving Rs 1,000 from another scheme will only receive Rs 500 from the state under this initiative.
(With inputs from PTI)
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