The Maharashtra government has slashed the monthly payout under its Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana from Rs 1,500 to Rs 500 for 8 lakh women who are also receiving Rs 1,000 per month under the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi scheme, reported The Times of India.

Under the rules of the Ladki Bahin scheme, beneficiaries may receive other government assistance only if the total monthly benefit does not exceed Rs 1,500. The reduction is part of the state’s ongoing scrutiny to ensure the scheme is limited to those who meet the eligibility criteria.

“There has been an ongoing scrutiny,” the newspaper quoted an unidentified official as saying. “First to scan the applications that were sent by the districts to the state headquarters. And then to re-scrutinise the eligible cases.”

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier said he expected the scrutiny to bring down the number of beneficiaries by 10 to 15 lakh. “We're not changing criteria or funding, just ensuring only eligible ones get the stipend,” he had said.

The state had received about 2.63 crore applications for the scheme by October. After verification, this figure dropped by 11 lakh to 2.52 crore by February, with 2.46 crore beneficiaries receiving the payout in February and March.

To qualify, applicants must be aged between 18 and 65, be domiciled in the state and have a family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh annually. Families with a government employee or a four-wheeler vehicle are not eligible.

The Opposition alleged that the government’s decision to reduce the payout for 8 lakh women amounted to betraying citizens, reported The Times of India.

State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal said, “Within five months of forming govt, Mahayuti has betrayed the people of the state twice.”

He added: “Recently, state govt took a U-turn on its farm loan waiver promise, and now by reducing the Ladki Bahin dole for 8 lakh beneficiaries, it has betrayed the people of the state. Citizens should get ready for more such betrayals from this govt in coming months.”

Leader of the Congress legislative party Vijay Wadettiwar alleged the scheme had only been introduced with elections in mind.

“It was introduced only to win the election, and since the scheme’s purpose is over, govt is now taking steps to discontinue it,” he said. “As part of the plan, the amount has been reduced to Rs 500 for some beneficiaries, and will soon be further reduced to zero.”

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav said: “Mahayuti members promised Rs 1,500 and later gave assurance of increasing the amount to Rs 2,100 but are instead reducing it. It was nothing but an election gimmick to attract votes. Mahayuti has misled the people, and it is now getting exposed.”

The Ladki Bahin scheme’s budgetary outlay was reduced from Rs 46,000 crore to Rs 36,000 crore in the state’s 2025-’26 budget. The government’s overall debt is projected to reach Rs 9.3 lakh crore in the same period.

Also read: ‘Election stunt’: Anger, confusion among Maharashtra women as Ladki Bahin payments falter