Fadnavis Says 80 Lakh Ineligible Beneficiaries Dropped From Ladki Bahin Scheme
In Mumbai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Monday that 80 lakh beneficiaries have been removed from the Mukhya Mantri Ladki Bahin Yojana. The massive removal of ineligible recipients occurred after the state government conducted a detailed scrutiny of documents across various databases.
Speaking in an interview with a media channel, Chief Minister Fadnavis revealed that the verification process exposed significant discrepancies among those receiving benefits under the scheme. Among those axed from the scheme were 10 lakh individuals who were identified as active income tax payers.
The database scrutiny also revealed that five lakh government employees had registered for the welfare scheme. Furthermore, approximately four to five lakh households that owned a vehicle were found to be receiving benefits, violating the established criteria.
In addition to these categories, the government identified and removed 14,000 beneficiaries who were men.
Fadnavis explained that when the Mukhya Mantri Ladki Bahin Yojana was initially launched, the Maharashtra government had set specific eligibility criteria but allowed applicants to register using self-certification. This initial process did not require immediate formal verification.
However, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) intervened and questioned why the state government had not conducted proper scrutiny of the applicants. Following the strictures raised by the CAG, the state government mandated that all beneficiaries submit their Know Your Customer (KYC) details to confirm their eligibility.
The KYC process is a mandatory verification method used to confirm identities and assess potential risks. According to the government, this step was crucial to prevent identity theft, financial fraud, and the creation of fake accounts within the welfare scheme. The subsequent verification of these KYC details against official databases led to the removal of the 80 lakh ineligible individuals.
