Maharashtra’s Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana under Scrutiny

Maharashtra’s Ladki Bahin scheme has come under scrutiny after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) flagged serious deficiencies in its financial management and implementation.

About the Scheme

• Launched: Ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
• Implementing department: Women and Child Development Department, Maharashtra.
• Benefit: Monthly financial assistance of ₹1,500 through Direct Benefit Transfer.
• Objective: To promote women’s economic independence, improve health and nutrition, and strengthen their role in household decision-making.

Why Were Beneficiaries Removed?

• The beneficiary count fell from 2.43 crore to around 1.66 crore after multiple rounds of verification.
• The government stated that several applicants were found ineligible.
• Mandatory e-KYC was also cited as a major reason, as many women failed to complete the process.
• The State government maintained that there had been no change in eligibility norms.

Key Concerns

• Exclusion of genuine beneficiaries due to technical or e-KYC-related difficulties.
• Lack of transparency in beneficiary verification.
• Excess and unexplained expenditure.
• Diversion of funds from other welfare schemes.
• Weak fiscal discipline and inadequate legislative control.
• Possibility of the scheme being used for electoral gains.

Political Controversy

• The Opposition has accused the government of using the scheme to secure electoral support.
• It has demanded restoration of benefits to women excluded due to e-KYC issues.
• Questions have also been raised over the government’s unfulfilled promise to increase monthly assistance from ₹1,500 to ₹2,100.

The government should conduct a transparent beneficiary audit, provide offline and assisted e-KYC facilities, restore benefits to eligible women wrongly excluded, prevent diversion of welfare funds, strengthen financial and legislative oversight, ensure public disclosure, and establish an effective grievance-redressal mechanism.