Maharashtra: Rs 21.44 Crore Fraudulently Availed By Over 14,000 Men Under ‘Ladki Bahin’ Yojana

Rs 21.44 crore was fraudulently availed by over 14,000 men under the Ladki Bahin Yojana in Maharashtra, revealed an audit conducted by the Women and Child Development Department.

The scheme, which was launched in 2024, provides Rs 1,500 per month to women aged between 21 and 65 years whose families earn less than Rs 2.5 lakh annually.

The audit conducted by the Women and Child Development Department (WCD) stated that Rs 21.44 crore was disbursed to 14,298 men, who, by manipulating the online registration system, managed to register themselves as female beneficiaries. “This misuse came to light nearly 10 months after the scheme’s launch, “It added.

In a post on ‘X’, Maharashtra Minister for Women and Child Development Aditi S Tatkare said, “Based on this information, starting from June 2025, the benefits for these 26.34 lakh applicants have been suspended. It will be verified by the respective District Collectors, and the benefits for those found eligible will be resumed by the government.”

She further said, “It has been found that some beneficiaries were availing benefits of multiple schemes, some families had more than two beneficiaries, and in some cases, men had applied for the scheme.”

According to the same WCD report, the scheme has incurred an estimated loss of Rs 1,640 crore in its first year due to large-scale ineligible enrolments.

The women and child development officer said in the same post, “Under the Chief Minister’s Ladki Bahin Yojana, the ministry had sought information from all government departments to verify the eligibility of all applications. Accordingly, the Information and Technology Department reported that approximately 26.34 lakh beneficiaries, despite being ineligible, were availing benefits of the My Beloved Sister Scheme.”

The findings sparked criticism and demands for wider investigation. In December 2024, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a comprehensive review of the scheme.

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