The Maharashtra government disbursed over Rs 9,600 crore to ineligible beneficiaries under its Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana in two years. The scheme provides financial aid to women aged 21 to 65 whose families earn less than Rs 2.5 lakh per year.
The Maharashtra government disbursed an excess of Rs 9,605 crore to ineligible beneficiaries under its Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana (MMBLY) in two years, according to data obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application by the Hindustan Times. The scheme, launched in June 2024, offers financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month to women aged between 21 and 65 whose families earn less than Rs 2.5 lakh annually. Despite verification drives to remove ineligible recipients, payments had already been made to many such beneficiaries.
Of the 92 lakh beneficiaries removed by June 2026, 62 lakh failed to complete the e-KYC process, and 16 lakh exceeded the annual family income limit of Rs 2.5 lakh. Another 3.6 lakh women were already receiving benefits under the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Anudan Yojana, 2.5 lakh were removed because another family member was enrolled, 1.8 lakh were over the age limit of 65, and 4.5 lakh were government employees. A further 1.7 lakh beneficiaries were excluded after district-level verification.
However, more than 2.1 crore women received payments for 17 months until November 2025, with the number of beneficiaries reaching 2.4 crore between February 2025 and May 2025. This resulted in monthly payouts exceeding Rs 3,640 crore, compared to the intended disbursement of Rs 2,450 crore.
The scheme has been a subject of controversy due to the strain it has placed on the state’s finances. In October 2025, Nationalist Congress Party leader and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal claimed that all government departments were facing a fund crunch because of the Ladki Bahin scheme.
Source:
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