Ladki Bahin Scheme January Payment Faces Mid-February Delay
Officials in Pune confirmed on Thursday that the January installment under the Ladki Bahin scheme is expected to be disbursed only after mid-February. This delay stems from the state government's ongoing verification of genuine beneficiaries, a process complicated by a significant glitch in the e-KYC system.
Election Schedule and Verification Process Contribute to Postponement
The delay is attributed to two primary factors: the meticulous verification of beneficiaries affected by the e-KYC error and the upcoming zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections scheduled for February 7 in twelve districts. While the December installment was released early in January, the government's proposal for an advance January payout on Makar Sankranti was rejected by the State Election Commission.
The commission clarified that although regular welfare scheme benefits may continue during the election period, advance disbursements are not permissible. This regulatory stance has further pushed back the payment timeline.
Government Response to Widespread Complaints
In response to numerous complaints from women who had not received payments for three to four months, the government directed district collectors last week to identify genuine beneficiaries through anganwadi workers. A helpline number (181) was established to address concerns, though many beneficiaries reported receiving unclear responses.
A senior official emphasized, "The government will not release funds unless the list of genuine beneficiaries is verified. Besides, with the elections around the corner, it is unlikely that money will be credited before mid-February."
Beneficiaries Express Anxiety Over Prolonged Verification
Several women have voiced deep concern over the extended verification process. One beneficiary from Pune district stated, "We waited for months. If our documents are not verified soon, this could become an unending wait."
Another beneficiary highlighted administrative disruptions following the demise of Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar. A politician noted, "All files need the finance department's clearance. As a cabinet reshuffle is on the cards, this process is bound to take longer."
Root Cause: E-KYC Form Error Misclassifies Beneficiaries
The core issue involves an error in the e-KYC form that resulted in more than 24 lakh women being incorrectly classified as belonging to families of government employees. This misclassification led to an abrupt halt in their monthly assistance of Rs 1,500.
The Women and Child Development Department acknowledged that a poorly framed question in the Marathi-language e-KYC form caused the error. The question, "Tumchya gharatle koni sarkari nokrit nahi na?" (Nobody in your family works for the government, right?), confused many respondents, who answered "yes" instead of "no."
The system automatically interpreted this response as confirmation that a family member was a government employee, thereby stopping payments. This linguistic ambiguity has created significant administrative hurdles and delayed financial support for eligible women across the state.
