WCD to probe complaints about over 1,000 Ladki Bahin applicants from outside Maharashtra

Pune: The state woman and child development department will verify the complaints regarding over 1,000 out-of-the-state applicants trying to fraudulently claim benefits under the Ladki Bahin scheme.
A senior official of the state woman and child development department told TOI on Friday that there had been complaints about applicants from outside Maharashtra in Latur and Sangli districts."We have been very strict with the scrutiny of applications for the Ladki Bahin scheme, but such an allegation has been made in the two districts. So, we are checking about such applications in the rest of the districts also," he said.
The complainants stated that just two login IDs were used to submit 1,171 applications. "Some applicants falsely claimed to be residents of various districts in Maharashtra, while they are actually from other states," stated a complaint.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said any complaints regarding the scheme should be verified by the woman and child development department officials. The minister concerned will also carry out the necessary inquiry.
Latur collector Varsha Ghuge told TOI that she had ordered an inquiry to check the details of 5.67 lakh applicants and beneficiaries. "I have told the officials to give the report to me by early next week," she said.
An official of the woman and child development department in Latur said, "We are carrying out a thorough inquiry. We will submit the report by Monday or Tuesday."
Sangli collector Raja Dayanidhi said the officials of the woman and child development department in the district were also conducting an inquiry. He said there were around 7 lakh beneficiaries in the district.
"We are checking the complaints about applicants from outside Maharashtra. If any details emerge, we will go by the law and initiate the necessary action. I expect the final report by next week," said the Sangli collector.
A section of officials of the state woman and child development department confirmed that complaints had come regarding fake login IDs and submission of 1,171 forms of fraudulent applicants from outside Maharashtra. One of the officials said they were double-checking if these applicants were weeded out before the disbursement for the scheme commenced. The complaints stated that fraud applicants posed as anganwadi workers from Latur and Sangli districts to create bogus login credentials.
The state has completed disbursement of instalments to 2.4 crore Ladki Bahin beneficiaries till Jan. Women from the state with an annual income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh are eligible for the scheme launched in July last year. Each beneficiary is entitled to get Rs1,500 a month. Many political obsevers termed the scheme a game-changer for Mahayuti in the 2024 assembly elections.