Summary
The Maharashtra government has closed nearly 6.8 million bank accounts linked to the Ladki Bahin Yojana. This decision comes after a large number of people failed to complete their electronic verification, also known as e-KYC. By removing these accounts, the state aims to ensure that only eligible women receive financial aid. This move has significantly reduced the total number of people currently getting monthly payments from the government.
Main Impact
The closure of these accounts has caused a major shift in the state's welfare system. Before this cleanup, about 24.3 million women were enrolled in the program. Now, that number has dropped to 17.5 million active users. This change means that millions of women who rely on this money will not receive their payments until they fix their account status. For the government, this reduction helps lower the monthly cost of the program, which currently stands at around Rs 3,700 crore.
Key Details
What Happened
The government required every person in the scheme to prove their identity through a digital process called e-KYC. This process links a person's identity to their bank account to prevent fraud. Many people did not finish this step by the original deadline of March 31. As a result, the government stopped payments to those accounts. However, officials have decided to give people more time. The new deadline to finish the verification is April 30. If a woman completes the process by then, her account can be opened again.
Important Numbers and Facts
The Ladki Bahin Yojana provides Rs 1,500 every month to women from families with low incomes. Because so many accounts were closed, the state has changed its budget for the next year. For the 2026–27 period, the government has set aside Rs 26,000 crore for the scheme. This is much lower than the Rs 36,000 crore spent in the previous year. This drop of Rs 10,000 crore shows how much the government expects to save by removing ineligible or unverified users from the list.
Background and Context
The Ladki Bahin Yojana is a major welfare project started by the ruling Mahayuti government. It was launched shortly before the 2024 state elections to help women from poor backgrounds. The goal was to provide direct cash support to help with daily living costs. Over time, the government started hearing complaints that the system was being misused. There were reports that men and people who already work for the government were taking the money. To fix this, the state decided to check every single user through the e-KYC system.
Public or Industry Reaction
The verification process has not been without problems. During the checks, more than 2.4 million women were suddenly labeled as government employees. This would have made them ineligible for the money. However, it turned out that a question written in the Marathi language was confusing. Many women answered it incorrectly by mistake. After looking closer, officials found that 2 million of those women were actually eligible to receive the funds. The government is still checking the remaining cases to make sure no one is unfairly removed from the program.
What This Means Going Forward
The government is making it clear that the scheme will not stop. Top leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, have promised that the program will continue. They want to make the system cleaner and more honest. For those who lost their benefits, the next few weeks are very important. They must visit their local offices or use the official app to finish their digital identity checks. The government also said it will not try to take back money from people who were found to be ineligible after already receiving payments.
Final Take
This massive cleanup shows that the Maharashtra government is serious about managing its welfare funds. While the closure of 6.8 million accounts is a huge step, the extension of the deadline offers a fair chance for genuine users to return to the system. The focus now is on accuracy. By using digital tools, the state hopes to build a system where help reaches the right hands without any waste of public money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were so many Ladki Bahin Yojana accounts closed?
The accounts were closed because the users did not complete the mandatory e-KYC digital verification. This process is required to prove that the person receiving the money is eligible and real.
Can a closed account be reopened?
Yes. The government has extended the deadline to April 30. If a woman completes her e-KYC verification before this date, her account can be reinstated and she can start receiving payments again.
Who is eligible for this scheme?
The scheme is for women in Maharashtra who come from economically weaker backgrounds. It provides them with Rs 1,500 per month. Government employees and men are not allowed to receive these benefits.