Amid scrutiny, some women withdraw applications for Ladki Bahin scheme
According to Manisha Biraris, women and child development (WCD) officer, Pune district, three women from Pune city have submitted withdrawal requests.
Following scrutiny of applications under the Chief Minister’s Ladki Bahin scheme, many women beneficiaries, particularly from Pune, Solapur, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts, have begun withdrawing their applications.

According to Manisha Biraris, women and child development (WCD) officer, Pune district, three women from Pune city have submitted withdrawal requests.
“We have received three applications to discontinue benefits under the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana. The reasons include errors like submission of incorrect Aadhaar card details or applications made by mistake,” said Biraris.
She said that there is neither any directive from the state government to scrutinise or disqualify beneficiaries at this stage nor recover payments from those opting out of the scheme.
Read: Ladki Bahin effect: State sets up panel to cut down spending on sops
In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 10 withdrawal requests have been filed, while Solapur district has received seven. Ramesh Katkar, Solapur’s WCD officer, said, “We have received seven applications citing reasons such as securing new jobs or applying by mistake.”
The Mahayuti government launched the Ladki Bahin Yojana in June 2024, ahead of the assembly elections, promising ₹1,500 per month to women from families earning less than ₹2.5 lakh annually, with a hike to ₹2,100 per month if re-elected.
The scheme, rolled out in July last year, has already disbursed ₹7,500 to 2.47 crore women for five months. The sixth installment is currently being processed.
However, the scheme’s financial burden has raised concerns. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio, had estimated the scheme’s annual cost at ₹46,000 crore, warning it could strain the state’s resources and affect government salaries.
Reports during the assembly elections also highlighted that many well-off women had benefited from the scheme.
Following the Mahayuti’s landslide victory in the assembly polls, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced a review of the beneficiary list, as reported by HT on December 6, 2024.
Women and child development (WCD) minister Aditi Tatkare has reiterated that the eligibility criteria remain unchanged, restricting benefits to women from economically weaker sections with annual family incomes below ₹2.5 lakh.
“Scrutiny is necessary to ensure that only deserving beneficiaries receive the aid,” Tatkare said.
WCD officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the scrutiny announcement has created apprehension among some beneficiaries. “There is a perception that their applications might be rejected, and they may be asked to repay the amount received under the scheme. This could be prompting the withdrawal requests,” an official said.
While the reasons behind these withdrawals remain varied, the scrutiny announcement appears to have created uncertainty among applicants.
