CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal / Mumbai : The Maharashtra government’s flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana—providing ₹1,500 monthly to low-income women—has been engulfed in a major fraud scandal. Recent audits revealed that 14,298 men illicitly posed as female beneficiaries and received a staggering ₹21.44 crore over ten months
The irregularity came to light during routine scrutiny of the scheme’s database. Men allegedly used false identities or female names to register and access the funds intended exclusively for women aged 21–65 with annual income below ₹2.5 lakh
In parallel, the state unearthed that 2,652 government employees—who are explicitly ineligible—among approved recipients wrongfully accessed benefits totalling ₹3.58 crore Verification efforts also flagged elder women over 65 and multiple applicants from the same household who violated scheme norms
To strengthen oversight, Maharashtra has begun cross‑checking applications against Income Tax Return and transport data, authorised by a June 2025 Central Board of Direct Taxes notification under Section 138 of the Income‑Tax Act Officials expect recovery of misallocated funds and possible disciplinary actions against those implicated.
Furthermore, six FIRs have already been filed across districts including Mumbai and Solapur, with allegations ranging from Aadhaar misuse to bulk purchase of women’s bank accounts to siphon off benefits
The scandal has sparked public outcry and raised serious concerns about systemic loopholes in welfare delivery. Government authorities have assured transparent corrective measures to ensure the scheme benefits only genuinely eligible women.
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