By Admin 
The Maharashtra government has ordered an inquiry into more than 26 lakh suspected beneficiaries of the Chief Minister Ladki Bahin Yojana. The Women and Child Development Department said that this step has been taken by ineligible people due to the possibility of taking advantage of the scheme.
The district administration has been instructed to perform physical verification of beneficiaries’ applications and eligibility, while Anganwadi workers have been given the responsibility of investigating from door to door.
What is the rule and what is violation?
According to officials, only two women aged 21 to 65 years per family should get a monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 per family, but in many cases 3 or more women, or women outside the eligible age group are also benefiting.
Age Limit Violation: Women found outside the eligible age group will be immediately disqualified. Family Border violation: In families with more than 2 beneficiaries, only two will get the benefit of the scheme. Documents and property checks: Fake papers, false residence certificates and four wheelers will also be reviewed.
Officials said that in the earlier investigation, 14,000 men were also found to be taking advantage of the scheme for 10 months, due to which more than Rs 21 crore was paid. Apart from this, more than 2,000 government employees also unfairly took advantage of this scheme.
Action and current situation in districts
The Department of Women and Child Development has prepared a detailed list of suspected beneficiaries and investigation has started in many districts. For example, the eligibility of about 70,000 beneficiaries in Jalna district is being checked. The department says that after completion of the investigation, the eligible beneficiaries will continue to get help under the scheme, while the names of ineligible people will be removed immediately.
Officials believe that this step will prove to be important in transparency of the scheme and benefits to the real needy. In this process, a joint team of Anganwadi workers, local administration and departmental officers has been installed, who are going from house to house on the basis of fixed criteria.
The main objective of the ladki sister scheme
The main objective of the Chief Minister Ladki Bahin Yojana is to empower the women of the state financially and improve their standard of living. But due to the large number of ineligible beneficiaries, the credibility of the scheme has been questioned. The state government says that the investigation will be completely fair and transparent, so that the possibility of such misuse can be reduced in future.