Thousands of Male Recipients of Maharashtra's 'Daughter-Sister' Fund
The Women and Child Development (WCD) Department in Maharashtra has uncovered a significant issue with the state's Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. An audit revealed that over 26.34 lakh beneficiaries, which is approximately 40% of the total enrollees, were ineligible to receive the scheme's benefits [1][2][3].
Launched last year, the scheme promises Rs 1,500 per month to economically disadvantaged women aged 21-65 with family income under Rs 2.5 lakh annually. However, the audit found that the online registration system was exploited, leading to multiple claims from the same family, men fraudulently registering as women, and recipients benefiting from multiple similar schemes [2][3].
The irregularities were so extensive that they cost the exchequer an estimated Rs 1,640 crore in the first year alone [1]. The fraud came to light nearly 10 months after the scheme's launch.
One of the most shocking findings was that the Ladki Bahin Yojana, designed to help economically disadvantaged women, was fraudulently used by over 14,000 men [2][3]. In some cases, families had more than the allowed number of beneficiaries, and some individuals were drawing benefits from multiple schemes concurrently [2].
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stated that the money given to the fraudulent beneficiaries will be recovered [1]. However, no new information about the recovery of money or investigation demands has been forthcoming.
Corrective actions have been taken to address this issue. Temporary suspensions of benefits have been imposed on the 26.34 lakh ineligible beneficiaries starting from June 2025, pending a thorough re-verification process by district collectors [1][2][3]. About 2.25 crore eligible beneficiaries continue to receive their honorarium for June 2025 without interruption [1][2].
Over 5 lakh ineligible names have already been removed from the system as part of earlier corrective measures [2][4]. A final decision on punitive action against fraudulent claimants is pending high-level discussions involving the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers [1][3].
The government has pledged transparency and accountability, emphasizing that misuse of taxpayer money will not be tolerated [1]. WCD Minister Aditi Tatkare made these statements on July 26, 2025.
This case highlights the importance of robust verification processes and the need for continuous monitoring to ensure the effective and fair distribution of government aid.
References:
[1] Times of India, "Maharashtra: 26.34 lakh ineligible beneficiaries suspended from Ladki Bahin Yojana", July 26, 2025. [Link]
[2] The Hindu, "Maharashtra: Over 14,000 men fraudulently availed Ladki Bahin Yojana benefits", July 26, 2025. [Link]
[3] Indian Express, "Maharashtra: Ladki Bahin Yojana hit by large-scale fraud, ineligible enrollments cost exchequer Rs 1,640 crore", July 26, 2025. [Link]
[4] DNA India, "Maharashtra: Over 5 lakh ineligible names removed from Ladki Bahin Yojana", February 15, 2025. [Link]
- The Maharashestra Ladki Bahin Yojana scandal, revealed last year, not only highlights the need for stronger verification processes in the disbursement of government aid, but also the urgent requirement for stricter measures in finance and politics to prevent such widespread fraud.
- The extensive irregularities discovered within the Ladki Bahin Yojana, totaling an estimated Rs 1,640 crore, serve as a stark reminder of the interplay between finance, politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice in modern society.
