Editor’s Note
This article highlights a delay in the 15th installment of a key financial support scheme for women in Maharashtra, underscoring the real-world impact of administrative processes on beneficiaries awaiting crucial funds.
Under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana (Chief Minister My Dear Sister Scheme), beneficiary women have so far received a total honorarium of Rs 21,000 in 14 installments. However, the wait for the 15th installment for September is still ongoing, keeping the women in anticipation.
The Maharashtra government may release the installments for September and October under the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ before Diwali. However, an important piece of information related to the scheme has recently come to light. The government has made e-KYC (Electronic Know Your Customer) mandatory for the scheme’s beneficiaries. All beneficiary women must complete the e-KYC process before November, otherwise their next installments could be stalled.
The state government has not yet issued any formal order regarding the release of the Rs 1,500 for September. Because of this, there is no clarity on when the funds will be deposited into the beneficiaries’ accounts. However, administrative sources say that for now, the September and October installments will not be withheld due to incomplete e-KYC, but payments for November and beyond will only be received once e-KYC is completed.
Since the start of the e-KYC process, beneficiary women have been facing technical glitches on the authorized portal https://ladakibahin.maharashtra.gov.in/ekyc. Due to problems like upload issues and slow servers, the e-KYC process for many beneficiary women remains incomplete. However, the Women and Child Development Department is working on resolving the problems encountered in the e-KYC process with the help of experts, and it is expected to be resolved soon.
The state government had given women two months to complete their e-KYC. In this regard, the Maharashtra government issued a government order (GR) on September 18. This means there is now about one and a half months left for e-KYC. All beneficiaries have been urged to complete the process within this period so that there is no hindrance in receiving future installments.
Meanwhile, there is strong speculation that the government may deposit the installments for both September and October months, totaling Rs 3,000, into the accounts of beneficiary women together before Diwali. If this happens, it will provide significant relief to over two crore women before the festival. However, no official announcement has been made by the government regarding this yet.
The Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana was launched in July 2024 with the aim of providing economic support to poor women. But over time, it came to light that a large number of ineligible beneficiaries had also availed the benefits, causing the government a loss of crores of rupees. The state government is now implementing the e-KYC process to stop this discrepancy, to ensure the identification of genuine eligible women and to ensure the scheme’s benefits reach the right people. Therefore, the state government has also made it mandatory for the e-KYC of the beneficiaries’ husbands or fathers.
