Maharashtra Government Reopens e-KYC Portal for Ladki Bahin Scheme
The Maharashtra state government has taken a significant step by reactivating the online e-KYC portal for beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin scheme. This portal will remain open until March 31, 2025, allowing women to rectify errors in their applications and continue receiving the monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500. The decision comes just one day after anganwadi workers and helpers across the state boycotted the physical verification drive under this welfare initiative.
Correcting Errors to Ensure Benefit Continuity
In a notification issued on Friday, the women and child welfare department clarified that beneficiaries who had previously selected incorrect options—such as mistakenly marking themselves as government employees or pensioners—can now correct these details online. The extended deadline provides a crucial window for those who were filtered out due to such errors after the initial e-KYC period ended on December 31 last year.
According to official data, a total of 1.12 crore applications were submitted for Aadhaar authentication under the scheme, with 1.06 crore already processed. Initially, the scheme saw an enrollment of 2.43 crore women who received monthly payouts. The Ladki Bahin scheme holds considerable political significance for the Mahayuti government, which estimates an annual cost of approximately Rs 45,000 crore. In line with election promises, the government plans to increase the monthly benefit to Rs 2,100 in the future.
Background on Verification and Challenges
The introduction of Aadhaar-based verification was aimed at eliminating ineligible beneficiaries, as it was discovered that some government staffers, pensioners, and even men were incorrectly receiving the monthly installments. Despite the earlier deadline extension, lakhs of women were excluded due to incorrect declarations, with many only realizing their ineligibility after payments ceased.
Chetana Gawali, daughter of a security guard, shared her experience: "I selected the wrong option at a Maja eSeva Kendra and was told I could file a complaint if I wished. Later, anganwadi workers collected documents and charged Rs 50 per application before boycotting the verification exercise. As soon as I heard the portal was reopened, I immediately rectified the details."
Portal Functionality and Payment Updates
The reactivated portal now features a pop-up message clarifying that only those who made selection errors are eligible to reapply. The process involves beneficiaries entering their Aadhaar number and captcha, receiving an OTP, and upon successful authentication, the system confirms completion with a green bar.
The government had released installments up to December last year exclusively for those who completed e-KYC on time. Beneficiaries who missed out due to wrong selections did not receive payments after November and are likely to receive a lump-sum amount of Rs 4,500 for the months of December, January, and February once their e-KYC is successfully cleared.
