Maharashtra’s Ladki Bahin Scheme Faces Major Beneficiary Cut

The Maharashtra government's Ladki Bahin scheme has become the center of political debate after nearly 9.3 million beneficiaries were removed following an e-KYC verification process. Officials stated that the verification drive was conducted to identify and eliminate ineligible beneficiaries, reducing the total number of beneficiaries from 24.7 million to 17 million.

Despite the revision, eligible women will continue to receive financial assistance of ₹1,500 per month under the scheme. However, opposition parties have strongly criticized the move, alleging that the government has deceived women after the elections by removing a large number of beneficiaries from the welfare programme.