Pune: Men Found Claiming Benefits Under ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’; Verification Ordered for 2.25 Lakh Beneficiaries

Pune: A shocking discovery in Pune district has revealed that male beneficiaries were availing benefits under Maharashtra’s Ladki Bahin Yojana, prompting authorities to order a large-scale verification of the scheme. The verification will cover approximately 2.25 lakh women and will be conducted by Anganwadi workers.

The Ladki Bahin Yojana provides a subsidy of ₹1,500 to eligible women. However, an initial audit found that 1,201 male beneficiaries had been incorrectly receiving the benefits, with the highest number coming from Haveli taluka. Authorities now plan to verify the gender and eligibility of all beneficiaries who completed e-KYC, ensuring only genuinely eligible women receive the subsidy.

Re-verification Orders:
Many women have been deprived of the ₹1,500 subsidy due to discrepancies in the e-KYC process. Households with four-wheelers, government jobs, or pension holders were previously excluded from the benefits. Following complaints, the Department of Women and Child Development has directed a fresh verification of all women beneficiaries who underwent e-KYC. Anganwadi workers will visit households to ensure eligibility criteria are met.

Scope of Verification:
The process will confirm whether any family member is a government employee or pensioner. Women from such households will be deemed ineligible, while others will be granted the benefits. This step was taken after men were found exploiting the scheme.

Number of Beneficiaries to be Verified:
A total of 2,25,360 beneficiaries in Pune district will undergo re-verification. The highest numbers are from Haveli taluka (96,100) and Pune taluka (23,000), while Rajgarh taluka has only 20 beneficiaries under review.

This crackdown reflects the government’s efforts to ensure that subsidies under the Ladki Bahin Yojana reach only eligible women, closing loopholes exploited by ineligible claimants.