On December 9, Maharashtra’s Women and Child Welfare Minister Aditi Tatkare briefed the state council that the government is cracking down on those who fraudulently accessed the Ladki Bahin Yojana. The crackdown has led to a substantial recovery of funds and has triggered disciplinary proceedings against several officials who were responsible for the misappropriation.
Under the scheme, eligible women receive a direct‑to‑bank transfer of ₹1,500 a month – an increase from the previous ₹1,000. Although the state has added new eligibility criteria, many people have still been able to claim benefits without qualifying. An investigation found that roughly 2.685 million women were either ineligible or had claimed benefits fraudulently, totaling about ₹1,189 crore in payouts. Meanwhile, about 10,956 government employees were found to have exploited the programme illegally, receiving around ₹18.57 crore in benefits.
Minister Tatkare confirmed that recovery action will be taken against the implicated officials following the procedures laid out in the Maharashtra Civil Services Rules. The relevant departments have already been notified to start the recovery process. In a Cabinet meeting, it was also decided that any financial aid given to beneficiaries who later became ineligible – either voluntarily or for other reasons – will not be reclaimed.
The issue reached the Assembly floor earlier this week. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis warned legislators from both sides of the house that repeatedly bringing up the flagship scheme to discuss unrelated matters was unacceptable. “If this continues, you will have to sit at home,” he told the assembly in a sharp tone, even snubbing BJP MLA Abhimanyu Pawar, who had linked the scheme to an alleged illegal liquor distribution case. During the same session, Congress MLA Jyoti Gaikwad referenced the Ladki Bahin Yojana while debating the death of a female doctor in Phaltan. The Chief Minister again emphasized that the programme should remain focused on its intended beneficiaries and not be used for political leverage. He assured that the scheme would continue without diverting funds from other initiatives, but urged lawmakers to keep remarks about it strictly relevant.
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