The Maharashtra government has removed 2,289 government employees from the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana following a verification drive to weed out ineligible beneficiaries and ensure targeted delivery of the welfare scheme for women.
Their names were removed from the list of beneficiaries, Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare said in a written reply to the State Assembly on Thursday, adding that her department has stepped up efforts to cross-check beneficiaries and uphold the integrity of the flagship scheme.
Launched by the BJP-led Mahayuti government in August 2023 ahead of the November 2024 Assembly election, the scheme provides monthly aid of ₹1,500 to nearly 2.4 crore women in the 21-65 age group through direct benefit transfer to improve their health, nutrition, and decision-making capacity.
In May this year, Ms. Tatkare said it was detected that over 2,200 government employees were receiving the aid despite being ineligible for it. With the latest update, the number of such ineligible beneficiaries stands at 2,289.
The Minister also informed the Assembly that for 2025-26, the budgetary allocation for the scheme has been made from the general category funds (₹28,290 crore) of her department as well as ₹3,240 crore from the Tribal Development Department’s funds and ₹3,960 crore from the funds of the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department.
Loan facility
The State government is also considering a proposal to allow the beneficiaries of the scheme to take loans against the monthly instalment and start micro-businesses, the Minister said.