Maharashtra Minister of Women and Child Development Aditi Tatkare on Monday, 1 June clarified that no application under the state's flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana has been formally rejected, pushing back against media reports of mass exclusion affecting nearly 80 lakh women across Maharashtra.

What the Government Said

Tatkare explained that data received from relevant departments flags applicants who fail to meet age and income criteria. Additionally, details of applicants with vehicle registrations sourced from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and those already drawing benefits under other government schemes have been separately noted.

'Some applicants' benefits have been suspended due to not completing e-KYC within the stipulated period,' she said. She assured that all such suspended cases would undergo re-verification, provided the applicants had completed e-KYC and held no vehicle registration.

The Numbers at the Centre of the Controversy

The dispute stems from a sharp drop in active beneficiary counts after e-KYC was made mandatory. Reports indicate the figure fell from a peak of 2.46–2.48 crore to approximately 1.66 crore once the e-KYC deadline lapsed — a reduction of roughly 80 lakh women. Portal figures cited by opposition leaders show only 1.12 crore applications and 1.06 crore approvals, implying more than 1.25 crore women may have been disqualified.

Tatkare maintained the distinction between rejection and suspension, arguing that beneficiaries who meet eligibility criteria and complete verification will be reinstated. She invoked the stance of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Sunetra Pawar, saying the government's position is that 'not a single beloved sister in Maharashtra will face injustice.'

Opposition Demands Inquiry and Audit

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) working president and Member of Parliament Supriya Sule demanded that no eligible woman be excluded for technical reasons. She noted that when the scheme launched, 2.38 crore women were enrolled, with ₹17,505 crore distributed by December 2024, before the beneficiary count climbed further to 2.46–2.48 crore.

Sule called for a high-level inquiry and an independent audit of the scheme. 'The money of the honest tax-paying people of Maharashtra — exactly how and to whom was it diverted improperly, who is responsible, and who the actual beneficiaries were — must be brought transparently before Maharashtra,' she said.

Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar was sharper in his criticism. 'It is extremely tragic that as many as 80 lakh women have been outright excluded from the Ladki Bahin scheme. This government will not be able to hold on for long while carrying the simmering resentment of these 80 lakh women,' he said.

Background and What Happens Next

The Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana is a direct-benefit transfer scheme aimed at providing financial support to women in Maharashtra. The e-KYC mandate was introduced as a verification measure, but its enforcement has triggered a political storm over the scale of exclusions. Tatkare's assurance of re-verification is expected to be tested against the pace of departmental processing. Whether the government can restore benefits to eligible suspended applicants before the controversy deepens will be closely watched in the coming weeks.