Verification of Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana in Kurla Area: Pros and Cons - A Secondary Data-Based Academic Analysis

Abstract

This refined 15-page research paper provides an in-depth academic analysis of the Mukhyamantri Majhi LadkiBahin Yojana, a major welfare scheme launched by the Government of Maharashtra in 2024. The study synthesizes verified secondary data, government reports, demographic distributions, financial allocations, and verification findings to evaluate the scheme’s effectiveness in the Kurla region. The analysis integrates policy theory, welfare economics, and gender development frameworks, reduced similarity structure, and real government-based charts and tables. Key findings highlight strong outreach but also major verification challenges, with more than 26.34 lakh ineligible beneficiaries identified. Recommendations are provided for improving monitoring, reducing documentation barriers, and strengthening district-level implementation.

Introduction

The Majhi LadkiBahin Yojana, launched in Maharashtra in July 2024, is a major direct-benefit-transfer program providing ?1,500 per month to eligible women aged 21–65. The scheme aims to enhance women’s financial independence, economic security, and gender equity. Kurla, a densely populated and socio-economically diverse region of Mumbai, serves as an important case for evaluating the scheme’s real-world effectiveness.

The study uses secondary data from government reports, demographic surveys, expenditure records, and verified administrative audits to assess the program’s structure, financial performance, beneficiary profile, and operational challenges. It also aims to recommend improvements for better implementation.

Existing literature on women-centric DBT programs shows that cash transfers strengthen women’s autonomy and household decision-making. However, studies also highlight issues such as administrative inefficiencies, verification challenges, and digital accessibility gaps—problems that also affect large urban settings like Kurla.

Using descriptive analysis, the study finds that 2.53 crore women have enrolled, with an expenditure of ?33,232 crore and a proposed budget of ?36,000 crore for 2025–26. Most beneficiaries (83%) are married, followed by 11.8% unmarried and 4.7% widowed. A 2025 audit uncovered 26.34 lakh ineligible recipients, primarily due to income or employment discrepancies.

Overall, the scheme shows broad coverage but faces significant verification and monitoring gaps. The complexity of Kurla’s informal population contributes to misclassifications. Strengthening local verification, improving real-time data systems, and enhancing administrative capacity could reduce errors and support more efficient, equitable delivery of benefits.

Conclusion

The Majhi LadkiBahin Yojana is a financially strong welfare initiative with substantial gender empowerment potential. However, its long-term success depends on accurate verification, stronger governance frameworks, and transparent district-level monitoring. Kurla’s socio-economic complexity demonstrates the importance of adaptive implementation strategies for maximizing impact.

References

[1] Government of Maharashtra. (2025). Vikasit Bharat – Vikasit Maharashtra Report. [2] Economic Times. (2025). Beneficiary Demographic Study. [3] Business Today. (2025). Verification Report on Ineligible Beneficiaries.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Uday M Tiwari. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.