Ladki Bahin Yojana: 1.88 crore women eligible after e-KYC deadline ends
Synopsis
Maharashtra's Ladki Bahin Yojana has shrunk from 2.43 crore to 1.88 crore eligible women after a contentious e-KYC process that closed on 30 April 2026 — and a wrongly framed Marathi question that wrongly flagged 24 lakh genuine beneficiaries as government employees. With the budget allocation cut by ₹10,000 crore and two months of pending payouts, the scheme's fiscal and administrative strain is far from over.
Key Takeaways
1.88 crore women are now eligible for Ladki Bahin Yojana after the e-KYC deadline closed on 30 April 2026 .
Around 68 lakh accounts out of the original 2.43 crore have been permanently closed for failing to complete e-KYC.
The state's 2026-27 budget slashed the scheme's allocation to ₹26,000 crore from ₹36,000 crore in 2025-26.
A wrongly framed Marathi question in the e-KYC form incorrectly flagged over 24 lakh beneficiaries as government employees; 20 lakh have since been cleared.
CM Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde have confirmed the scheme will continue and no recovery of funds from ineligible recipients will be pursued.
Payouts for March and April 2026 are pending, to be released after funds are received from the Finance department.
Around 1.88 crore women are now eligible for Maharashtra's Ladki Bahin Yojana following the closure of the e-KYC correction deadline on 30 April 2026, the state's Women and Child Development (WCD) department confirmed on Monday. The figure marks a significant drop from the scheme's earlier beneficiary base of 2.43 crore, after a mandatory digital verification exercise weeded out ineligible registrations.
Where the Numbers Stand
An official from the WCD department said that 1.88 crore women submitted their applications and completed the e-KYC process before the final deadline. The last payout under the scheme — in February 2026 — reached 1.75 crore beneficiaries. "After receiving the funds from the Finance department, payout for March and April will be given soon," the official said.
Notably, around 68 lakh accounts out of the original 2.43 crore registered under the scheme have been permanently closed after failing to complete the mandatory e-KYC process. The e-KYC deadline was extended four times — in November 2025, December 2025, March 2026, and finally to 30 April 2026 — before the state stopped accepting corrections.
Budget Cut and Financial Pressure
The Maharashtra government currently releases approximately ₹3,700 crore every month to cover payouts for around 2.25 crore beneficiaries, with each eligible woman receiving ₹1,500 per month. With the beneficiary count now reduced to 1.88 crore, the monthly outgo is expected to decline accordingly.
In the state's annual budget for 2026-27, the allocation for the Ladki Bahin Yojana has been slashed to ₹26,000 crore, down sharply from ₹36,000 crore in 2025-26 — a reduction of ₹10,000 crore. The scheme has been cited as a significant strain on Maharashtra's fiscal position.
Why the e-KYC Was Conducted
The e-KYC verification exercise was initiated after complaints emerged that male members of households were receiving benefits under the scheme, and that certain government employees had been registered as beneficiaries — both categories explicitly excluded under the scheme's eligibility criteria.
The exercise, however, was not without controversy. A wrongly framed question in the Marathi-language e-KYC form — "Tumchya Gharatle koni sarkari nokrit nahi na?" (Nobody in your family works for the government, right?) — reportedly caused more than 24 lakh beneficiaries to be incorrectly classified as government employees. Respondents who should have answered 'No' are said to have answered 'Yes' due to the confusing double-negative framing, triggering a halt in their monthly payouts.
Following a subsequent review of these 24 lakh accounts, 20 lakh have been found to be genuine beneficiaries, while scrutiny for the remaining accounts is still pending.
Government's Policy Stance
Despite the irregularities, the Maharashtra government has decided not to recover funds from those who received benefits without being eligible. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have both repeatedly stated that the Ladki Bahin Yojana will not be discontinued.
The scheme was launched by the MahaYuti government ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections in November 2024 and is widely credited as a key factor in the coalition's decisive electoral victory. With pending March and April disbursements still to be released, the government faces continued pressure to maintain both scheme momentum and fiscal discipline in the months ahead.
Point of View
But the wrongly worded Marathi question that misclassified 24 lakh genuine beneficiaries exposes a deeper problem: large-scale welfare schemes in India are often designed for political impact first and administrative rigour second. The ₹10,000 crore budget cut signals that fiscal reality is catching up, even as the government insists the scheme is untouchable. Choosing not to recover funds from ineligible recipients may be politically pragmatic, but it sets a precedent that weakens accountability in welfare delivery — a pattern Maharashtra can ill afford as its debt obligations grow.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many women are eligible for Ladki Bahin Yojana after the e-KYC deadline?
Around 1.88 crore women are now eligible for the Ladki Bahin Yojana after the e-KYC correction deadline closed on 30 April 2026. This is down from the original 2.43 crore registered beneficiaries, with approximately 68 lakh accounts permanently closed.
When will the pending March and April payouts under Ladki Bahin Yojana be released?
According to a Women and Child Development department official, the March and April 2026 payouts will be released soon after funds are received from the Finance department. No specific date has been announced yet.
Why were 68 lakh Ladki Bahin accounts closed?
Around 68 lakh accounts were permanently closed because the account holders failed to complete the mandatory e-KYC verification process before the final deadline of 30 April 2026. The e-KYC was introduced to remove ineligible beneficiaries, including male recipients and government employees.
What was the problem with the e-KYC question that affected 24 lakh beneficiaries?
A double-negative question in Marathi — asking if nobody in the family works for the government — was widely misunderstood. Genuine beneficiaries who should have answered 'No' reportedly answered 'Yes', causing them to be incorrectly classified as government employees and halting their ₹1,500 monthly payout. Of these 24 lakh accounts, 20 lakh have since been cleared.
Has the Maharashtra government cut funding for Ladki Bahin Yojana?
Yes. The Maharashtra government's 2026-27 budget reduced the scheme's allocation to ₹26,000 crore, down from ₹36,000 crore in 2025-26 — a cut of ₹10,000 crore. The reduction reflects the lower beneficiary count and fiscal pressure on the state.
