Over 14,000 Men Illegally Claimed Benefits Under Ladki Bahin Yojana, Causing Rs 21.44 Crore Loss to State

The Maharashtra government ’s Ladki Bahin Yojana , a financial assistance scheme aimed at empowering underprivileged women , has come under scrutiny after thousands of men were found to have fraudulently registered and availed benefits. An audit has revealed shocking misuse of the scheme, resulting in massive financial loss to the state exchequer.

Fraud Uncovered: Over 14,000 Men Pose as Beneficiaries

Launched to support economically weaker women , the Ladki Bahin Yojana provides Rs 1,500 monthly to women aged 21–65 from families earning less than Rs 2.5 lakh per year. However, an audit by the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department revealed that 14,298 men wrongfully received these benefits for nearly 10 months - amounting to a loss of Rs 21.44 crore.

How the Scam Happened

The fraudulent entries were made by manipulating loopholes in the online registration process. These men registered themselves as women and received the direct cash transfers undetected for months. The misuse was only flagged during an internal audit conducted by the WCD department.

Widespread Irregularities Detected

WCD Minister Aditi Tatkare disclosed that the audit also found over 26.34 lakh ineligible beneficiaries across various categories, including multiple claimants from the same family and individuals enrolled in other government schemes . As a result, all suspicious accounts have been temporarily suspended pending district-level verification.

Massive Financial Impact

Among the major violations were cases where more than two women from the same household registered - despite the scheme allowing a maximum of two per family. This alone accounted for nearly 7.97 lakh fraudulent registrations , leading to an additional expenditure of around Rs 1,196 crore in the last year.

Government Promises Strict Action

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has assured that the state will recover the funds from the men who illegally benefited from the scheme. He stated, “This initiative is solely for financially distressed women. The government will take back the money, and if needed, initiate strict legal action against defaulters.”

What Lies Ahead

As of June 2025, benefits for verified women beneficiaries continue uninterrupted. Meanwhile, district collectors are carrying out detailed checks on all flagged accounts. Final action against fraudsters will be determined after further discussions with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers.

The incident has cast a shadow over one of Maharashtra’s key welfare schemes. As the government gears up to recover the misused funds and plug system loopholes, the focus now shifts to ensuring transparency and safeguarding the rights of genuine beneficiaries.