The Maharashtra government may offer some relief to women enrolled under the Mukhyamantri ahead of Raksha Bandhan. According to a senior official from the Women and Child Development Department, eligible beneficiaries could receive ₹3,000 directly in their bank accounts.
The development comes as beneficiaries are still waiting for their July instalment, while August is already halfway through. The government is reportedly considering releasing the pending July payment along with the August instalment, resulting in a combined transfer of ₹3,000.
However, the government has not yet officially confirmed the proposed double instalment.
When will the Ladki Bahin instalment be released?
The monthly ₹1,500 assistance under the Ladki Bahin scheme is generally expected to be credited by the 15th of every month. With 15 August also being Independence Day, there is speculation that the government could release both the July and August instalments together.
Some reports, however, suggest that beneficiaries may have to wait until 20 August for the payment. For now, there is no confirmed date, and beneficiaries will have to wait for an official announcement from the Maharashtra government.
What is the Ladki Bahin scheme?
The Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana was launched by the in July 2024 to provide financial assistance to eligible women. Under the scheme, women aged between 21 and 65 from families with an annual income of less than ₹2.5 lakh are eligible to receive ₹1,500 every month.
The benefit is transferred directly to the bank accounts of approved beneficiaries. The scheme was designed to provide financial assistance to women and support their economic independence.
However, subsequent verification found that some people receiving benefits may not have met the eligibility criteria. To identify ineligible beneficiaries and ensure that government assistance reaches the intended recipients, authorities initiated an e-KYC verification exercise.
81 lakh beneficiaries reportedly removed
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has claimed that approximately 2.47 crore women were registered under the Ladki Bahin scheme when it was initially rolled out. Following the verification process, nearly 81 lakh names have reportedly been removed from the beneficiary list.
According to the claims, the number of beneficiaries has subsequently declined to somewhere between 1.66 crore and 1.77 crore.
While beneficiaries await clarity on the pending instalments, the reported possibility of a combined payment of ₹3,000 before Raksha Bandhan has raised expectations among women enrolled in the scheme. An official announcement from the Maharashtra government is awaited.