Maharashtra's 'Ladki Bahin' scheme mainly benefits married women: Study

Married women make up as many as 83 per cent of the beneficiaries of the Maharashtra government's 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana', as per official data.

The scheme, which is supposed to have played a role in the BJP-led coalition's victory in the November 2024 assembly elections, provides monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 to women aged 21 to 65 who are married, divorced, widowed, deserted, or destitute, and whose family income is below Rs 2,50,000 per year.

The benefit is also provided to one unmarried woman per family. The scheme has, as of now, some 2.5 crore beneficiaries, though the government is now carrying out a scrutiny to omit those who are ineligible.

Data indicates that married women constitute 83 per cent while unmarried women constitute 11.8 per cent of the beneficiaries, a senior official said on Thursday. Widows account for 4.7 per cent of beneficiaries, while 'divorced, destitute or deserted' women collectively make up less than 1 per cent of the cohort. Divorced women account for 0.3 per cent, deserted women 0.2 per cent, and destitute women for 0.1 per cent of beneficiaries. The highest 29 per cent of beneficiaries are from the 30-39 age group, followed 25.5 per cent from 21-29 age group and 23.6 per cent from 40-49 age group.

Women aged 60 to 65 account for only five per cent of beneficiaries. Pune district has recorded the highest number of applications for the scheme, followed by Nashik and Ahmednagar. On the other hand, Sindhudurg and Gadchiroli districts have recorded the lowest number of applications.

The scheme was rolled out in July last year. Before the November elections, the ruling Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena promised to increase the amount under the scheme to Rs 2,100 per month. After coming to power, the new Devendra Fadnavis-led government said the promise would be kept, and an announcement to this effect is expected in the coming Budget. After coming to power, the new Mahayuti government ordered a review to remove ineligible recipients. So far, five lakh beneficiaries have been excluded, with officials estimating that the number could rise to 15 lakh.

Women owning four-wheelers, those in government employment or those already receiving benefit exceeding Rs 1,500 from other schemes would be disqualified. At the time of its launch, the scheme was said to cost the state exchequer Rs 46,000 crore annually. It has also faced allegations of fraud and political manipulation. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Thursday accused the government of misleading women voters by rolling out the scheme before the elections and slashing the number of beneficiaries after coming to power. "The government distributed funds to women as an incentive to get votes. After assuming office (after the elections), it imposed various conditions that have significantly reduced the number of eligible beneficiaries," he said.

The Fadnavis government intends to reduce the number of beneficiaries by as much as 25 per cent, the Congress leader claimed, calling it a betrayal of voters.