Lakh of Women and Farmers to Return Benefits Under Ladki Bahin and PM Kisan Schemes
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government is currently battling a major administrative challenge to recover over 4,000 crore rupees from ineligible beneficiaries under the popular Ladki Bahin Yojana and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi schemes. While these initiatives helped maintain the Mahayuti coalition’s dominance in the state, they are now at the center of controversy due to the distribution of funds to individuals who failed to meet the eligibility criteria.
Ineligible Beneficiaries Identified in Both Schemes
According to government estimates, around 30 lakh women have received monthly payments of ₹1,500 under the Ladki Bahin Yojana despite not fulfilling the necessary requirements. Additionally, about 1.2 million ineligible farmers have been identified in Maharashtra who received subsidies under the PM Kisan scheme. The total amount being reclaimed could exceed ₹4,000 crore, significantly impacting state finances.
Finance Minister Ajit Pawar admitted last week that the Central Government had failed to link beneficiary accounts to Aadhaar, leading to improper distribution. The state administration is now undertaking an effort to create a new list of legitimate beneficiaries, starting with rectifying the discrepancies caused by the previous government’s errors.
Administrative Efforts to Recover Funds and Identify Fraudulent Claims
Under the Ladki Bahin scheme, 2.46 crore women receive ₹3,700 crore monthly, but eligibility audits have started to identify those who do not meet income criteria or possess luxury items like four-wheelers. The government is also using income tax records to cross-check beneficiaries and exclude high-income individuals from the list. Officials estimate that up to 60 lakh beneficiaries could be removed from the scheme after these checks.
The PM Kisan scheme has also come under scrutiny, with over 1.33 million farmers found ineligible for the financial aid they received. While the government has managed to recover only ₹94 crore from these ineligible beneficiaries so far, officials are working towards rectifying this issue, with expectations to remove around 60 lakh ineligible recipients from the final list.
As recovery efforts continue, the state faces significant hurdles in dealing with technical, legal, and logistical challenges related to reversing payments. Despite voluntary returns from a small number of beneficiaries, large-scale recoveries will remain a daunting task for the administration.
Conclusion: Administrative Strain as Maharashtra Tackles Fund Recovery
The ongoing challenge of recovering misallocated funds is putting immense pressure on Maharashtra’s administrative machinery. While the state government has made strides in identifying ineligible beneficiaries, the task of reclaiming the 4,000 crore rupees continues to grow. As more discrepancies are discovered, the recovery process is expected to be prolonged, with many technical and legal obstacles to overcome.