Ladki Bahin Clean-Up Shock: 80 Lakh Women Dropped After E-KYC, Payout List Shrinks To 1.68 Crore

Nikunj Parikh - Mumbai Bureau May 31, 2026 1,150 Views

Maharashtra’s flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana has seen a dramatic pruning after an e-KYC verification drive knocked nearly 80 lakh women off the beneficiary rolls. The scheme’s active list has fallen from around 2.48 crore to 1.68 crore, sharply lowering the state’s monthly outgo under the ₹1,500 direct benefit transfer programme for eligible women.

Officials insist this is an exercise in tightening eligibility and removing duplication, not rolling back the Ladki Bahin scheme itself. But on the ground, the sudden drop has translated into stopped payments, confusion and political heat over whether genuine beneficiaries have been swept out along with ineligible entries.

What The E-KYC Drive Changed

Under the verification campaign, women had to complete Aadhaar-based e-KYC, validate bank details and re-establish income and residency criteria within a fixed window. Those who did not update their details, failed authentication, or were flagged as ineligible – including cases like men, government employees and higher-income applicants slipping into the list – have now been removed. With the drive complete, the government has indicated there is currently no plan to reopen the window or extend deadlines, arguing that “beneficiaries had sufficient time” to comply with the process.

Impact On Women And State Finances

The clean-up brings two immediate consequences. For the exchequer, the fall from 2.48 crore to 1.68 crore beneficiaries means a sizeable saving in recurring monthly payouts, easing budget pressure in a pre-election environment. For women who depended on the Ladki Bahin transfer to plug gaps in household budgets, the impact is far more personal: unexpected stoppage of funds, often communicated only when the latest installment failed to arrive. Opposition parties and activists are now asking for a transparent grievance-redressal mechanism so that genuinely eligible women who missed e-KYC, or were wrongly flagged, can find a way back into the scheme.

Ladki Bahin Verification Highlights

Around 80 lakh names removed from Ladki Bahin rolls after e-KYC verification
Total beneficiaries fall from about 2.48 crore to 1.68 crore across Maharashtra
Government says there is no current plan to extend e-KYC deadlines or reopen enrolment
Drive aimed at deleting duplicates, ineligible and non-verified accounts from the scheme
Concerns grow over genuine poor women losing access to the ₹1,500 monthly support