Nearly 80 Lakhs of Women were Filtered as Ineligible for the Ladli Bahin Scheme Following the e-KYC Deadline

A new controversy has exploded surrounding the Maharashtra government's popular 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojna' (Ladki Bahin) scheme. According to official data, approximately 80 lakhs women have currently been removed from the list of beneficiaries under this scheme due to incomplete e-KYC procedures and a failure to meet various eligibility criteria.

The total number of beneficiaries under the scheme has dropped from around 2,40,00,000 to approximately 1,70,00,000. Following the revelation of this issue, opposition parties have accused the state government of purposefully reducing the number of beneficiaries due to a financial crunch.

I am writing about this matter because the Ladki Bahin Scheme serves as a vital financial assistance program for millions of women in Maharashtra. The opportunity to receive a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500 had become a significant source of support for many families.

Therefore, the news that such a huge number of women have been declared ineligible has naturally sparked common concern. Therefore, a political debate has happened regarding whether this decision was driven by administrative factors or by financial conditions.

According to government sources, April 30, 2026, was the deadline for completing e-KYC. Many individuals who failed to complete the process within this timeframe or who did not meet the prescribed eligibility criteria have been removed from the beneficiary list. The government declares that this is not a new decision; rather, the verification process has been conducted in agreement with established regulations since the start of the scheme.

A senior government official stated that there are multiple reasons behind the decline in the number of beneficiaries. According to him, approximately 50 lakhs to 55 lakhs women failed to complete the e-KYC process; about 2 lakhs to 3 lakhs applicants rectified errors in their application forms; around 12 lakhs women were identified as income tax payers, thereby exceeding the scheme's income threshold; more than 4,50,000 women lost their eligibility as they were over the age of 65; and approximately 5,00,000 women were already receiving benefits under other government schemes.

Government officials have explicitly stated that 80 lakh women were not excluded only due to the failure to complete e-KYC. According to them, in addition to e-KYC, criteria regarding income, age, and other eligibility conditions were verified. It was on this basis that many applicants were identified as ineligible.

The government further stated that the final count of genuine beneficiaries will become clear within the next week. Currently, various complaints and data are undergoing re-verification.

The opposition camp, however, remains unsure of the government's explanation. NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Jayant Patil has asserted that the exclusion of a huge number of beneficiaries signals an impending financial crisis within the state.

He alleges that those who were promised financial assistance are now being removed from the scheme. He further remarked that this amounts to an act of deception against the common people. According to the opposition, this measure has been adopted as a direct result of the mounting financial pressure on the state government.

Many women have complained that, having completed their e-KYC, they have not received their instalments for several months.

In response to this, the government has stated that all such complaints are currently being scrutinized. Once the verification process is complete, the details regarding genuine beneficiaries will become clear. Therefore, the administration has advised that those whose applications are valid and whose submitted information is accurate need not panic.