Over 14,000 men illegally received benefits under Ladki Bahin Yojana, Rs 21.44 cr in funds lost

Mumbai: Over 14,000 men fraudulently received financial benefits under the Ladki Bahin Yojana, a scheme which is explicitly meant for economically disadvantaged women in Maharashtra. These 14,298 men who falsely received the direct cash benefit for 10 months caused a loss of Rs 21.44 crore to the state exchequer as per media reports.

The welfare scheme launched last year promises Rs 1,500 per month to women aged between 21 and 65 belonging from families with annual income less than Rs 2.5 lakh. The fund is meant for their health, nutrition and general well-being.

Online registration system manipulated

An audit by the Women and Child Development Department (WCD) has revealed that Rs 21.44 crore was wrongly disbursed to 14,298 men who misleadingly registered as female beneficiaries by exploiting loopholes in the online registration system. The misuse was detected nearly 10 months after the scheme was launched.

WCD Minister Aditi Tatkare in a post on X said that under the Ladki Bahin scheme, the Women and Child Development Department identified around 26.34 lakh ineligible beneficiaries, including men, multiple claimants from the same family, and individuals receiving benefits from multiple schemes.

Tatkare said that their benefits have been temporarily suspended as of June 2025, pending verification by District Collectors. Meanwhile, 2.25 crore eligible women have received their June honorarium. The government will decide on action against fraudulent beneficiaries after consultation with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers.

Maharashtra govt to take strict action

The scheme’s monthly payout was also received by women who were the third member of their family to enroll under the Ladki Bahin scheme, despite the rule allowing only two women per family to register. The department identified approximately 7.97 lakh such fraudulent cases, resulting in an expenditure of Rs 1,196 crore over the past year, reported Hindustan Times.

Responding to reports that over 14,000 men had received benefits under the Ladki Bahin scheme, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stated, “The Ladki Bahin scheme is for needy women from lower income groups, not for men. The state government will recover the money from men who received the money under the scheme. If they don’t cooperate, we will take strict action.”