Pune, April 5 Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare claimed that 71 lakh women have been disqualified from Maharashtra's flagship Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, under which beneficiaries receive Rs 1,500 per month.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Andhare said that Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare should first explain why 71 lakh women were disqualified.
She claimed that these 71 lakh women received a total of Rs 255.60 crore since the scheme began before the assembly elections in late 2024, and asked who would compensate the state exchequer for the loss.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Aditi Tatkare should respond to this, Andhare said.
She asked why a fraud case should not be registered against them, alleging that public funds were used to lure voters and win elections.
Around 68 lakh accounts under the Ladki Bahin Yojana were closed after beneficiaries failed to complete the mandatory e-KYC process before the deadline, reducing the number of active accounts to about 1.75 crore, state government officials had said on Wednesday.
The deadline for completing e-KYC, which expired on March 31, has now been extended until April 30, and officials indicated that the number of closed accounts could change following the extension.