The Maharashtra government is set to eliminate 50 lakh women beneficiaries from the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana scheme, in which women in Maharashtra receive Rs 15,00 per month as a stipend. The decision is aimed at easing the financial burden on the state treasury. The Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government enforced eligibility criteria in the Ladki Bahin Yojana, and several women were excluded from the scheme.
The Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana scheme initially had 2.46 crore women beneficiaries in Maharashtra, which cost the state government Rs 3,700 crore monthly. Over the past six months, the initiative has cost the state approximately Rs 21,600 crore.
To address this, the BJP-led government in the state imposed eligibility criteria for beneficiaries with the help of the Income Tax Department. Over 9 lakh women have been excluded from the scheme, and the target is to disqualify a total of 50 lakh ineligible beneficiaries, reported Saamana newspaper. This move is expected to save the state Rs 1,620 crore annually.
In January this year, the government's probe into the beneficiary reduced the count by 5 lakh, saving about Rs 75 crore. In February, another 4 lakh women were excluded, adding Rs 60 crore to the savings. The primary focus is on beneficiaries with yellow and orange ration cards and those under the Namo Shetkari Samman Nidhi.