Reported By Vinod Jagdale
Mumbai: Amid the inclusion of numerous ineligible women in the list of beneficiaries in the Chief Minister Ladli Behna Yojana, the Maharashtra government has sought detailed information from the Income Tax Department. The government has especially asked for the report on the information of particularly those women who file income tax returns.
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The Income Tax Department has reportedly sent this proposal to the Central Government, and this data will be available to the state government only after the approval of the Union Finance Ministry.
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The Mahayuti government of the state launched this ambitious scheme before the 2024 assembly elections. Initially, 2 crore 67 lakh women applied, and an amount of Rs 7,500 was deposited in the account of every woman for about 5 months without any comprehensive verification before the elections.
Following the elections, the state government launched a thorough probe into the scheme, uncovering ineligible beneficiaries. Many women were found to be availing other government schemes, owning four-wheelers, or being government employees themselves. Consequently, approximately 9 lakh women have been disqualified from the scheme to date.
What Else For Ladli Behna Yojana?
The government had requested the Income Tax Department's data on scheme beneficiaries who are taxpayers six months ago. However, the department's lack of response has hindered the investigation, allowing lakhs of potentially ineligible women to continue receiving benefits unfairly.
Government-employed "Laadli Bahans" have also availed benefits from the scheme, with approximately Rs 3.58 crore disbursed to them over the past 9 months, at a rate of around Rs 13,500 per person. Obtaining complete data from the Income Tax Department could lead to the exclusion of lakhs of ineligible women, reducing the financial burden on the state government and ensuring transparency in the scheme.