Maharashtra Government Utilizes Existing Data for 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' Scheme

The Maharashtra government will use existing data of women beneficiaries for its 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme. This initiative, announced ahead of the assembly elections, will provide eligible women with Rs 1,500 per month. The WCD department will consolidate data, ensuring smoother fund disbursement.

The Maharashtra government is leveraging existing data of women beneficiaries for the newly announced 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme, according to officials.

The scheme, unveiled in the run-up to assembly elections, offers Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women. Department officials convened on Wednesday to discuss the logistics.

'The aim is to utilize existing data to lessen the burden of new data collection,' an official from the Women and Child Development (WCD) department explained.

Departments like Rural Development and Food and Civil Supplies, which already have databases of women beneficiaries from older schemes, are sharing their data with the WCD department, which will implement the Ladki Bahin Yojana, clarified a Food and Civil Supplies official.

The WCD will consolidate the necessary data, including bank accounts, and collaborate with the IT department for fund disbursement. 'Accessing and consolidating the existing data is straightforward as it has been previously used for disbursement. However, new enrollments present a challenge,' noted a WCD official.

Women can apply either through a mobile app or physically, but the new data needs rigorous scrutiny and verification, posing a significant task in the limited time frame.

The Eknath Shinde government has allocated Rs 25,000 crore for the Ladki Bahin Yojana in supplementary demands during the Monsoon session of the state legislature.