Summary of this article
Rs 3,000 combined instalment likely before BMC polls
Ladki Behin Yojana supports low-income women in Maharashtra
Payments delayed due to verification and election procedures
Ladki Behin Yojana is getting a new updation promise ahead of the Mumbai BMC elections 2026. Ladki Behin Yojana is a social welfare scheme introduced by the Maharashtra government. In recent days, a claim has surfaced that the eligible women beneficiaries will now receive Rs 3,000 in their bank accounts before the elections. This statement came from Tejashwi Ghosalkar, the BJP candidate from Dahisar, clarifying that the December and January instalments will be released together.
At the core of the scheme, the Ladki Behin Yojana is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) programe which is designed to support women financially who come from economically vulnerable women in Maharashtra. The state government launched it in mid-2024. Under this scheme, women between the ages of 21 and 65 years, who belong to families with an annual income below Rs 2.5 lakh, are eligible to receive a monthly assistance of Rs 1,500. These funds are transferred into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts only once the eligibility is verified through a compulsory e-KYC verification.
Under this scheme, women residents of the state aged between 21 and 65 years, irrespective of being married, widowed, divorced, or abandoned, are eligible, as long as their family income falls under the Rs 2.5 lakh benchmark. The only requirement for them is to have an Aadhaar-linked bank account to receive these payments. To register themselves, women can apply online through the official portal by filling in their personal details, Aadhar and bank details. After this, a close verification will be done. Those who can’t access the online services can go and register through the Anganwadi workers, SEVA kendras, and other government help points.
Since the inception of the scheme, thousands of women across the state have been enrolled and have started receiving their payments, making it a visible and successful welfare scheme.
This scheme has not been one without challenges; administrative issues, KYC backlogs, delays and disbursals issues have reoccurred. Recently, many beneficiaries have reported that their December 2025 instalment was combined with the January 2026 payment. A total of Rs 3,000 was expected by the beneficiaries around mid-January. Official reports suggest that the payments were held up due to procedural or election-code restrictions. This leaves many women waiting for funds for two months.
During this, Tejaswi Ghosalkar has made a high-profile claim that the funds of these months will be transferred together into the beneficiaries' bank accounts before the polls begin.
This scheme remains a major political and social talking subject in Maharashtra, as a welfare initiative, which acts as a factor in the upcoming electoral politics. This draws a picture of how this scheme affects the beneficiaries so much.
