Maharashtra has delisted approximately 9.2 million beneficiaries from its flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, a women's welfare scheme, following an extensive state-wide verification exercise. This significant removal, which accounts for nearly four out of every ten women initially enrolled, has halted an estimated ₹14,000 crore in payments to ineligible recipients.
Reasons Behind the Massive Delisting
The verification drive, which commenced in September 2025, revealed a range of disqualifying factors. The primary reason for removal, affecting around 6.2 million beneficiaries (67%), was the failure to complete mandatory electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) authentication. Other significant reasons included:
- Approximately 1.6 million (17%) beneficiaries belonged to families with an annual income exceeding the ₹2.5 lakh ceiling.
- Over 442,000 individuals (4.8%) declared themselves or a family member as government employees, making them ineligible.
- Around 360,000 (3.9%) were already receiving aid under the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana, violating the single-scheme benefit rule.
- About 250,000 cases (2.7%) involved more than two members from the same family drawing benefits.
- Roughly 180,000 beneficiaries (2%) were found to be above the upper age limit of 65 years.
- Separately, approximately 29,000 men were discovered to be receiving benefits intended for women, alongside around 8,000 government employees who were also illegally claiming aid.
Financial Implications and Audit Scrutiny
Officials estimate that the beneficiaries whose payments were discontinued had collectively received about ₹14,000 crore. On average, these individuals had received assistance for approximately ten months before their payments were stopped as part of the verification process.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in its State Finances Audit Report 2024-25, recently tabled in the state legislature, highlighted concerns regarding excess expenditure, funds parking in deposit accounts, and weak financial controls within the scheme's implementation.
About the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana
The Mukhyamanri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana was approved on June 28, 2024, with the objective of providing financial assistance of ₹1,500 every month directly to eligible women. The scheme targets women aged 21 to 65 years from families with an annual income below ₹2.5 lakh. Excluded categories include government employees, income tax payers, and beneficiaries of certain other welfare schemes.
Before the verification exercise began in September 2025, the scheme covered a peak of approximately 2.43 crore (24.3 million) women. Following the delistings, the current coverage stands at over 1.5 crore (15 million) women. The scheme's total budget allocations and supplementary provisions have now exceeded ₹60,000 crore.