Maharashtra stipend for 8L Ladki beneficiaries cut

MUMBAI: The state govt has reduced the stipend of eight lakh beneficiaries of its flagship Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana because they were also receiving benefits under another govt scheme, the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi (NSMN).

The eight lakh women will receive a payout of Rs 500 instead of Rs 1,500 per month because they already receive Rs 1,000 under Namo Shetkari programme. The Ladki Bahin scheme stipulates that its beneficiaries can avail of other govt schemes only if the benefit is capped at Rs 1,500 per month.

This is part of state's move to scrutinise beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin scheme and to restrict the stipend only to those who fit the eligibility criteria.

In Oct, state had around 2.63 crore applicants for the scheme. The scrutiny process reduced that figure by 11 lakh to 2.52 crore beneficiaries by Feb. The final stipend went to 2.46 lakh in Feb & March.


"There has been an ongoing scrutiny. First to scan the applications that were sent by the districts to the state headquarters. And then to re-scrutinise the eligible cases," an official said.

CM Devendra Fadnavis earlier said he expects the number of beneficiaries to reduce by 10-15 lakh after the scrutiny process. "We're not changing criteria or funding, just ensuring only eligible ones get the stipend," he said.

The state govt is scrutinising Ladki Bahin beneficiaries on the basis of five key criteria. The beneficiaries have to be within the age limit of 18-65 years, and they must be domiciled in the state. Their family income limit has to be within Rs 2.5 lakh per year. Those with a four-wheel vehicle and a member of the family in a govt job are excluded from the scheme. Those who receive benefits from other govt schemes can do so as long as the combined benefit is within Rs 1,500 per month.

The state is under pressure to control its purse strings while keeping its key programmes going. The state's debt projection is 9.3 lakh crore for 2025-26. The outlay for the Ladki Bahin scheme was reduced from 46,000 crore to 36,000 crore in the 2025-26 budget.