Maharashtra govt. duped women under Ladki Bahin scheme, alleges State Cong.
The Maharashtra Congress alleged large-scale exclusion of women from the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana after earlier electoral expansion and post-election scrutiny.
- The Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana is a Maharashtra women-focused welfare scheme at the centre of the present political dispute.
- The Congress alleged that e-KYC-related issues led to removal of beneficiaries from the scheme.
- Atul Londhe Patil said the scheme had an anticipated annual burden of about ₹44,000 crore.
- Atul Londhe Patil said the monthly assistance was later promised to rise from ₹1,500 to ₹2,100 after the election.
What happened
The Maharashtra Congress alleged that the BJP-led Maharashtra government used the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana for electoral gain before the 2024 Assembly election and later excluded a large number of beneficiaries. Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil said nearly 62 lakh women were removed because of e-KYC-related issues.
Patil said a recent Comptroller and Auditor General report was only the tip of the iceberg and demanded immediate restoration of benefits for eligible women. He also alleged that the government launched the programme despite an anticipated annual burden of about ₹44,000 crore and later promised to increase monthly assistance from ₹1,500 to ₹2,100 after the election.
UPSC may frame the issue as a governance problem in public welfare delivery: how to balance universal political promises, fiscal burden, digital verification, and exclusion of eligible beneficiaries. The discussion can also be linked to the ethical duty of the state to ensure last-mile access without discrimination against poor women who lack smartphones or digital literacy.
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