Maharashtra govt’s ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme for 1 crore women rolls out today: Check eligibility, application process

The “Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana”, the Maharashtra government’s flagship scheme with the aim of providing financial support of ₹1,500 to one crore women in the state, was launched on Saturday, August 17.

The scheme aims to transfer ₹1,500 crore directly to the eligible women’s bank account on the 15th of every month.

The program is being rolled out two days before Raksha Bandhan, which will be celebrated on August 19 and a few months before the state assembly elections in October.

On Wednesday, the state’s Women and Child Development Department announced that it had successfully transferred ₹3,000 to over three million bank accounts of eligible recipients of the scheme on a trial basis. This amount covers the first two months of the scheme.

The “Ladki Bahin” scheme parallels the “Ladli Behna Yojana” in Madhya Pradesh. The programme was introduced during Maharashtra's June Budget, and is expected to cost around ₹46,000 crore annually.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured the people that the scheme will not be temporary and will continue indefinitely.

Eligibility

• Female citizens of Maharashtra who are married, widowed, divorced, abandoned and destitute are eligible.

• The applicant must be a permanent resident of Maharashtra.

• Female citizens between the age range of 21 and 65 years are eligible. Earlier, the age limit was 60 years but has now been increased to 65.

• The annual income of the applicant’s household must not be more than ₹2.5 lakh from all sources.

• All applicants must link their Aadhaar card to their bank account.

Ineligibility

• The combined annual income of the applicant’s household is more than ₹2.5 lakh.

• If any member of the applicant’s family is a taxpayer she will not be eligible for the scheme.

• If the household members of the applicant are working as regular or permanent employees in a government department, undertaking, board, Government of India or local body of state or drawing pension after retirement.

• The applicant will not be selected under the scheme if any family member is a present or former MP or MLA.

• If any member of the applicant’s household is a government official.

• The applicant’s family must not own a four-wheeler other than a tractor to be selected under the scheme.

How to apply

Female applicants who pass the eligibility criteria can apply both online and offline.

For online registration under the program, the government has introduced a mobile app called “Nari Shakti Doot.” The app is available for download on both the Play Store and the App Store.

For offline registration the applicants can visit the Zilla Parishad and consult the concerned government official.

Documents required

• Aadhaar card

• Bank Account

• Age Proof

• Ration Card

• Address Proof

• Income Certificate

• Domicile Certificate

• Passport Size Photo

• Mobile Number