Mumbai, July 26 — A shocking case of large-scale fraud has come to light in Maharashtra’s flagship welfare program, the ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’, which was specifically designed to provide financial aid to economically weak women. A recent government audit has revealed that 14,298 men fraudulently enrolled in the scheme and received monthly payments, causing a loss of ₹21.44 crore to the state exchequer.

Launched in August 2024, the Ladki Bahin Yojana aimed to support women aged 21 to 65 years from financially disadvantaged backgrounds by offering them ₹1,500 per month. However, the latest beneficiary review exposed a glaring loophole in the system — thousands of men managed to bypass verification checks, submitted fake documents, and received payouts over several months.

Fraud Raises Alarming Questions

According to official data, these men continued to receive benefits until the fraud was discovered during the audit. The revelation has raised serious concerns about the efficiency of the verification system, prompting questions like: How did so many ineligible male applicants pass the eligibility checks? Who approved their applications? And why weren’t red flags raised earlier?

So far, the Department of Women and Child Development has not issued an official response. However, sources indicate that disciplinary action is likely against the officials involved in approving or failing to flag these applications. The government is also preparing to recover the embezzled funds from those found guilty.

Not the First Breach in Welfare Schemes

This isn’t the first time Maharashtra’s welfare programs have faced such scrutiny. Similar irregularities have been reported in other schemes like the Sanitary Napkin Subsidy Program and the Shiv Bhojan Thali scheme, where ineligible beneficiaries were registered and funds were allegedly misappropriated.

In light of this latest scam, the government is taking the matter seriously and has committed to tightening verification protocols and enhancing transparency in welfare program operations. Authorities are expected to introduce stricter documentation processes, real-time beneficiary verification, and regular audits to ensure that such misuse does not occur again.

This episode has not only highlighted flaws in implementation but also eroded public trust, prompting urgent calls for reform to protect the integrity of social welfare programs aimed at empowering women.