State govt clears ₹344 crore for May Ladki Bahin payout

Pune: The state govt has approved Rs 344.74 crore for the disbursal of the May instalment under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, amid concerns among beneficiaries following the deletion of nearly 80 lakh names during the verification drive.While BJP MLA Monica Rajale, in a social media post, has said beneficiaries are likely to receive the payment between June 12 and June 15, senior state govt sources clarified that no official announcement has been made regarding the disbursal schedule.“No such announcement has been made by the govt,” a source said.A govt resolution (GR) issued by the social justice department on June 10 approved the transfer of Rs 344.74 crore to the women and child development (WCD) department for the implementation of the scheme. The amount is part of the state’s budgetary allocation for the Ladki Bahin scheme and is meant for the May payout.The development comes as many beneficiaries have been awaiting clarity on the May instalment after a large-scale scrutiny exercise led to a sharp reduction in the scheme’s beneficiary base.The state recently undertook an e-KYC and eligibility verification drive, following which the number of beneficiaries reportedly fell by around 80 lakh. Officials attributed the decline to incomplete e-KYC procedures and other eligibility-related issues.The Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana was launched by the Mahayuti government in 2024 and provided monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to eligible women. One of the key eligibility criteria is that the annual family income of beneficiaries should not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh.The scheme is widely believed to have contributed to the Mahayuti’s electoral success in Maharashtra. During the Assembly election campaign, alliance leaders had promised to increase the monthly benefit to Rs 2,100 if voted back to power. However, the proposed enhancement has not yet been implemented.