The window for millions of women in Maharashtra to complete their electronic verification for a key financial aid scheme has officially closed. The deadline for beneficiaries of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana to finish their eKYC process ended on December 31, and state authorities have indicated they are unlikely to grant another extension.
Deadlines and Extensions Amid Challenges
This was the second deadline provided to women enrolled in the scheme. The initial cut-off for linking Aadhaar with bank accounts via a One-Time Password (OTP) was November 18. By that date, approximately 1.5 crore women had successfully completed the process through a dedicated portal.
However, recognizing the severe disruption caused by heavy rains and floods across Maharashtra in September and October, the government extended the deadline to the end of the year to facilitate more beneficiaries. A senior official from the Women and Child Development Department, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the final decision on any further extension is still pending.
Scheme Eligibility and the Road Ahead
The scheme, which provides a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500 to eligible women, initially saw 2.5 crore recipients. That number was later refined after the removal of duplicate entries and applicants who did not meet the criteria, rendering around 25 lakh women ineligible.
Now, with the December 31 deadline passed and no clear signal of another extension, women who have not completed their eKYC are set to stop receiving the financial aid. Beneficiaries who were verified before the deadline received their November installment and were hopeful of receiving combined payments for November and December at the start of the new year.
Technical Hurdles and Hopeful Beneficiaries
Despite the government citing "no major complaints" during the extension period, some women faced persistent technical issues. Several reported that the verification portal repeatedly displayed an "OTP Verification Failed" message, and the server often went down after multiple attempts. These women are now clinging to hope for a last-minute reprieve.
For specific beneficiary groups like widowed, single, or divorced women, the process involved submitting documents such as a husband's death certificate to anganwadi sevikas. These frontline workers were tasked with uploading the documents to the online portal to complete the eKYC on their behalf.
Attempts by the Times of India to contact Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare for clarity on the next steps, the final eKYC numbers, and the count of women who could not verify, went unanswered. The department is currently compiling data on the women who successfully completed the verification, leaving the fate of many uncertain.
