In order to eliminate a sizable portion of the payees and alleviate the government's increasing financial strain, the state government's women and child development (WCD) department has begun the process of connecting the beneficiary data gathered for the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana with the data from all other current programs. At least 25% of the 2.46 crore beneficiaries are anticipated to be eliminated as a result of this measure, saving the government INR 900 crore out of the INR 3690 crore it spends on the program each month.
In addition to individuals who pay income taxes, the government will separate beneficiaries who also receive benefits from programs like the Namo Shetkari Samman Yojana, which is a cash benefit announced in 2019 at the Centre under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi and copied by the state, which gives 94 lakh beneficiaries INR 1000 per month, and the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana, which is a pension scheme for destitute women and provides over 25 lakh women with INR 1500 per month. Other government programs that provide farmers with financial assistance for buying agricultural equipment will also be connected to the Ladki Bahin list.
Bureaucrats sought to renegotiate the fine print of the Ladki Bahin Yojana on November 25, 2024, after the Mahayuti's overwhelming victory in the Maharashtra assembly election on November 23. CM Devendra Fadnavis then declared shortly after taking office that the list of beneficiaries would be reduced because a large number of unworthy applicants had infiltrated.
Since the program's commencement on July 1, 2024, the state government has already disbursed INR 21,600 crore in six installments.
All state departments that have been carrying out the cash assistance programs have been asked to provide us with statistics. While the direct benefit transfer (DBT) initiative, which provides farmers with cash grants for equipment, has 1.71 lakh women participants (out of 10.8 lakh total), the Namo Shetkari Samman Yojana has 18.18 lakh women beneficiaries. The Sanjay Gandhi pension plan benefits 25 lakh destitute women, an official from the WCD department said.
The official further added that in order to identify the houses that possess four-wheelers and remove women from those households that are on the list, the agency has also requested data from the transportation department. In addition, the income tax list of taxpayers will assist us in determining these households' incomes. The E-KYC of each scheme beneficiary account will assist us in obtaining information about the family's financial situation. Within a month, this will be completed.
Given the current number of beneficiaries, the state exchequer bears an annual expense of INR 42, 000 crore. Once voted to power, the Mahayuti had promised in its electoral program to enhance the payout to INR 2100 each month. According to recent announcements from the Fadnavis government, this would take effect on April 1, 2025, the start of the new fiscal year. If this list is not trimmed, the state will have to invest about INR 60,000 crore.
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