Ladki Bahin: Money to be recovered from govt-job families and men who took scheme benefits

The administration has begun taking strict steps to make the state government's much-discussed Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme transparent and to keep out ineligible people. During the e-KYC (e-KYC) scrutiny, it emerged that in many places the scheme's benefits were taken in breach of the rules. Families with government jobs, along with some men, were found among them. The money these suspected ineligible beneficiaries have taken so far will be recovered.

According to information from the Women and Child Development Department, the MahaIT and e-KYC checks have uncovered major irregularities in Solapur district. In Solapur district alone, 1,907 beneficiaries have been found who are themselves in government service or have a family member who is. It has also emerged that 78 men applied for the scheme and took its benefit, in violation of the rules.

The secretary of the Women and Child Development Department has handed the full 63-page list of all these suspects to the Solapur District Collector and the District Women and Child Development Officer. Sources said that lists of such suspected beneficiaries in the rest of the state's districts have also been sent to the respective District Collectors.

For now, the financial benefit to all these suspected beneficiaries has been stopped for some time. The district administration is having Anganwadi workers carry out a final on-the-spot verification. No one will be declared ineligible outright merely because their name appears in the records or on suspicion. However, the government will recover whatever amount the beneficiaries who are found to be truly ineligible after the inquiry have taken from the scheme so far.

The scheme was launched to strengthen women's economic independence and improve their health and nutrition. The government is now more vigilant that this welfare scheme's benefit reaches only eligible women as per the criteria, and action is being taken against those who broke the rules.