After 81 lakh women were found ineligible for the Maharashtra government’s ambitious ‘Ladki Behan Yojana’, questions are being raised on whether the amount deposited in their accounts will be withdrawn or not. Meanwhile, the statement of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has come out. Clarifying the government’s stand, he said that no recovery will be made from the women declared ineligible. However, the entire amount will be recovered from the 14 thousand men who will take advantage of this scheme.
In fact, after a large number of beneficiaries were found ineligible in the Ladki Behan scheme, the opposition was continuously targeting the Mahayuti government. Chief Minister Fadnavis said that the beneficiaries were checked through the database, in which 14 thousand men who had applied in the name of women and availed benefits have been identified.
Many women did not complete the procedure
Apart from this, 5 lakh government employees, 10 lakh income tax paying women and 5 lakh women owning four-wheelers were also found ineligible for the scheme. According to the information, even after e-KYC was made mandatory, many women did not complete the process. There were errors in the e-KYC of about 25 lakh women, who were given the opportunity to correct them. Only after this the honorarium i.e. installment of ineligible beneficiaries was stopped.
The scheme will be audited by CAG
Chief Minister Fadnavis said that the scheme will be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). In such a situation, questions may be raised on the amount given to ineligible beneficiaries. Despite this, the government has decided to give lump sum relief to the women and the amount will not be recovered from them. However, the entire amount will be recovered from 14 thousand men as per the rules. CM said that this is public money and it should be used as per rules. Along with this, he also said that the government is also considering re-opening the window of e-KYC for Ladki Behan scheme if needed.
E-KYC mandatory for all schemes
Meanwhile, Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare clarified that e-KYC is mandatory not only for Ladki Behan scheme but for all DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) schemes. He said that the figure of 80 lakh is not only of women who did not get e-KYC done. He said that earlier also the beneficiary women were given time for e-KYC, later two more months were given. After that there was increase again for two months. He said that eight to ten months were given to such women to do e-KYC.
He said that the process of e-KYC is not only for Ladki Bahin Yojana but in all the government schemes which have direct to bank, this e-KYC is necessary. He said that this is a figure of 80 lakhs. This is not just about e-KYC. In this, the Income Tax Department collected the information and gave it to us in 8-10 months. According to him, women whose income is more than Rs 2.5 lakh are also included in this. There are names of approximately 11 lakh such women in it, out of which 4.5 to 5 lakh women whose names have been struck off are above 65 years of age.
Government employees took advantage of the scheme
He told that the number of government employees who had taken advantage of this scheme is around 14 thousand. Some of these are farmers taking benefits of Namo scheme. He said that money is being recovered from all of them. He told that many women have applied to us that even after doing e-KYC, they have been deprived of benefits. He said that the government is investigating it and work is being done to restart the installment of this scheme.
Minister Aditi Tatkare said that there are some names who were taking benefits of both Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana and Ladki Yojana, they have been cut in scrutiny and they will definitely get the benefit of one of the two schemes. He said that we have also received information from RTO that many women have four wheeler vehicles in their homes, their names have been struck off. Some of these women have requested that since we do not have the vehicle, it is being investigated. He said that if he does not have a vehicle, he will get the benefit of this scheme again. He said that women were given time till April to do e-KYC. Presently the beneficiaries are being given the installments for February and March.
opposition’s allegation
Here, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Jayant Patil alleged that before the assembly elections, women were given the benefits of the scheme on a large scale, but now 80 lakh women are being declared ineligible. He described it as raising serious questions on the economic condition of the state.
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