Scrutiny of 1 crore forms for 'Ladki Bahin' scheme over, only 7,000 rejected: Shiv Sena

Mumbai, Aug 6 (PTI) Authorities in Maharashtra have so far completed scrutiny of one crore applications received under the Mukhya Mantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, the state government's flagship scheme for underprivileged women, and only 7,000 of them have been rejected, a spokesperson of the ruling Shiv Sena said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters here, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam said, "As many as 1.50 crore forms were filled online, while the number of offline applications is around one crore. So far, 2.5 crore applications for the scheme have been received." Of these, one crore applications have been scrutinised so far and only 7,000 of them have been rejected, said the former MP.

"The deadline for submitting applications under the scheme is August 31. It seems the number of actual beneficiaries will cross 3.5 crore by then," he said.

Opposition parties have termed the scheme as financially non-viable and argued its execution will put enormous burden on the state exchequer.

The annual outlay for the scheme, announced in the state budget presented in June-end, has been pegged at Rs 46,000 crore.

Under the scheme, married, divorced, and destitute women aged 21 to 65 will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500 with the annual family income of beneficiaries capped at Rs 2.5 lakh.

Announced ahead of the assembly polls due in October, the scheme has received an overwhelming response from eligible women from across the state. PTI ND RSY