Pune: With just four days left for the deadline, the state govt has made it clear that there will be no further extension for completing e-KYC under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme. Women and child development department minister Aditi Tatkare told TOI on Saturday that beneficiaries must finish the process by Dec 31.“More than 1.7 crore beneficiaries have already completed e-KYC. There will be no further extension. Genuine beneficiaries facing difficulties will be helped,” Tatkare said, responding to queries about whether the deadline would be pushed again.The e-KYC deadline was earlier fixed for mid-Nov but was extended to Dec 31 after beneficiaries flagged technical glitches and disruptions. Tatkare then said that the govt took note of the situation “with utmost seriousness” before allowing more time.However, many women are still struggling with the process. Some complain of not receiving OTPs, while others say they uploaded details but received no confirmation. “I did not receive my Nov payout and my e-KYC is still pending,” said Maya W, a beneficiary from Pune, echoing concerns raised by several women on social media.According to official data, of the 2.43 crore women enrolled under the scheme, around 1.74 crore have completed e-KYC, while nearly 69 lakh are yet to do so. Aadhaar-based authentication has been made mandatory to ensure only eligible women continue to receive the Rs 1,500 monthly assistance.Officials said the verification drive was launched after preliminary checks flagged lakhs of questionable entries, including about 12,000 cases where men were listed as beneficiaries. Tatkare said ineligible cases, including govt women employees wrongly availing benefits, are being identified and recoveries will be initiated. She clarified that women who initially used male family members’ bank accounts due to lack of their own accounts would not be disqualified.Women missing the Dec 31 deadline risk a temporary pause in payments, though transfers will resume once e-KYC is completed. Payments are credited to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. Beneficiaries last received the Oct instalment on Nov 19 and are awaiting the Nov payout as Dec draws to a close.Launched in June 2024, the scheme provides Rs 1,500 per month to women aged 21 to 65 years with annual family income below Rs 2.5 lakh, provided they are not enrolled in other welfare schemes.The women and child development department has also opened a “final window” to correct errors made during e-KYC through ladakibahin.maharashtra.gov.in. Special provisions have been announced for single women, widows and divorced women, who can complete offline KYC by submitting death certificates or court orders through anganwadi workers by Dec 31.The scheme has triggered sharp political exchanges in the assembly, with opposition leaders alleging irregularities and demanding an audit and a white paper. Deputy CM Eknath Shinde has defended the scheme, saying it will not be discontinued and eligible women will get payments on time.
