Mumbai: In a shocking revelation that has raised serious questions about the State’s governance and verification mechanisms, the Maharashtra Government has discovered that over 12,400 men and nearly 78,000 ineligible women received benefits under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, a welfare scheme meant exclusively for women.
Information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) query by a leading newspaper has exposed large-scale discrepancies in the disbursement of funds under the scheme, which provides Rs 1,500 per month to women aged 21–65 years from families earning less than Rs 2.5 lakh annually.
Gold Rate
22 Oct 2025
According to the RTI data, 12,431 men and 77,980 women, all found ineligible, were paid the monthly benefit for 12 to 13 months. The cumulative wrongful disbursement is estimated at a staggering Rs 164.52 crore, of which Rs 24.24 crore went to male beneficiaries and Rs 140.28 crore to ineligible women.
At present, about 2.41 crore women are registered under the scheme, costing the state exchequer nearly Rs 3,700 crore every month.
Government employees among the beneficiaries
The irregularities run deeper. A separate RTI reply revealed that around 2,400 government employees, including several men, also availed benefits under the scheme, in blatant violation of eligibility rules. The Women and Child Development (WCD) Department, which administers the scheme, admitted the anomaly and claimed that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against those involved.
However, the department’s response also confirmed that no recovery or punitive action had yet been taken in any of these cases, despite the scale of financial misuse.
Officials admit ‘tip of the Iceberg’
A senior government official, reacting to the revelations, described the findings as only “the tip of the iceberg.” The official added, “Verification is still ongoing. The number of ineligible beneficiaries, and the total misappropriated amount, could increase significantly.”
The State Government has already suspended payments to 26.34 lakh suspicious accounts between June and July 2025. Officials attributed the blunder to inadequate data verification, lax scrutiny, and a hurried rollout of the ambitious scheme.
The expose has triggered widespread outrage, with critics accusing the government of negligence and systemic failure in ensuring due diligence before disbursing public funds. The revelation has also intensified demands for a comprehensive audit and strict accountability of officials involved in the mismanagement.
As the verification drive continues, the Rs 164-crore blunder stands as a glaring example of how poor implementation and weak checks can derail even the most well-intentioned welfare schemes.
