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Key insights
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Verification drove a major reduction in coverage: After e-KYC and eligibility checks, the beneficiary count fell from 2.43 crore to 1.57 crore, with 86 lakh rejected.
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Multiple eligibility filters were applied: Checks included an income ceiling of ₹2.5 lakh, removal of duplicates, a two-per-household cap, and excluding families with government employees.
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Further scrutiny planned for rejected cases: The state announced physical verification for over 24 lakh rejected beneficiaries.
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What happened
The Maharashtra government’s flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin welfare scheme has seen a sharp reduction in beneficiaries after verification. An official from the Women and Child Development (WCD) department said 1.57 crore beneficiaries received the December instalment after the e-KYC process concluded, compared with 2.43 crore beneficiaries reported when the scheme was rolled out. The drop followed eligibility verification by the WCD using criteria including annual family income below ₹2.5 lakh, removal of duplicate entries, a limit of two women per household, and exclusion of families with government employees, among other conditions. About 86 lakh beneficiaries were rejected in the 17 months since the scheme began in July 2024. The government also announced it will conduct physical verification of more than 24 lakh rejected beneficiaries.