Social media platform X is abuzz with allegations against the Maharashtra government. Several posts, including those by opposition politicians, accuse the Mahayuti government, led by Devendra Fadnavis, of cheating 20 lakh women in Maharashtra by depriving them of the benefits of the Ladki Bahin Yojana.
Shiv Sena (UBT) politician Priyanka Chaturvedi shared an infographic image and claimed, ‘Okay.Sisters, vote and get cheated!’
Mahua Moitra fans stated, ‘If this isn’t betrayal, then what is? A scheme was announced just before the election. The first installment was credited to bank accounts.They secured the votes. Now, they plan to remove 20 lakh names from the beneficiary list. Only the BJP could pull off such a scam against the very people who voted for them.’
Sushant Singh tweeted, ‘Goal achieved, now time to trim the scheme.’
Besides this, Dolly Sharma, Lavanya Ballal Jain and Mumtaz Patel shared the claim.
We began our fact-checking process by gathering the latest information on the Ladki Bahin Yojana. A Google search led us to an article published by Business Today on January 5, 2025. According to the article, the Maharashtra government is reviewing the list of 2.63 crore beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana and plans to exclude women who are already receiving benefits from other government welfare schemes.
Launched in August 2024 by the previous Eknath Shinde-led government, the Ladki Bahin Yojana provides a monthly allowance of ₹1,500 to eligible women. During the assembly election campaign, former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde promised to increase the allowance to ₹2,100 if re-elected. However, due to overlapping benefits, the government is set to remove over 20 lakh beneficiaries who are also enrolled in other welfare schemes such as Namo Shetkari Yojana and direct benefit schemes.
Minister Tatkare explained that if a woman receives less than ₹1,500 from another scheme, the government will provide a matching amount. However, if the benefit from other schemes exceeds ₹1,500, the beneficiary’s name will be removed from the Ladki Bahin Yojana list. This step aims to ensure that the scheme benefits only those who genuinely need financial support.
No, we found an article published by The Economic Times on August 16, 2024, which detailed the eligibility and disqualification criteria for the Ladki Bahin Yojana:
Eligibility Criteria
• The applicant must be a permanent resident of Maharashtra.
• Women aged 21 to 65 years, including married, unmarried, abandoned, divorced, and destitute women, are eligible.
• The applicant must have a bank account in her name.
• The family income of the applicant should not exceed ₹2.50 lakh per year.
Disqualification Criteria
• Families with an annual income exceeding ₹2.50 lakh.
• Families where a member is an income tax payer.
• Families where a member is a regular or permanent government employee or pensioner (contract workers earning up to ₹2.50 lakh remain eligible).
• Women receiving ₹1,500 or more per month under other government schemes.
• Families where a member is a current or former MP/MLA.
• Families where a member holds a position such as Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Director, or Member of any government board or corporation.
• Families owning a four-wheeler, excluding tractors.
We also found a ClearTax article that corroborated the report by The Economic Times.
| Claim | The Maharashtra government, after winning the elections, removed 20 lakh women from the Ladki Bahin Yojana, depriving them of promised benefits. |
| Claimed by | Priyanka Chaturvedi, Mumtaz Patel and other opposition politicians |
| Conclusion | The removal of beneficiaries is not a new rule formed after the elections. In August 2024, the government had already specified eligibility and disqualification criteria, including the exclusion of women receiving benefits from other government schemes. |
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