Summary of this article
e-KYC error halted payments for 24 lakh women
Misinterpreted question triggered beneficiary disqualification
Physical verification ordered to restore assistance
The government’s Women and Child Welfare department has now ordered nearly 100,000 anganwadi workers across the state to verify these affected beneficiaries physically, according to a report by The Indian Express.
What Was The Misinterpretation
Among one of the questions was one that was misinterpreted wrongly. It asked if any of the beneficiaries had any family member who is a serving government employee. Around 2.40 million respondents replied in the affirmative, which automatically stopped their monthly payments.
The government had initiated the e-KYC process for around 23 million eligible beneficiaries as part of the verification process. The last date for the beneficiaries was December 31, 2025. Each woman is eligible to an assistance of Rs 1,500 per month, for which the state releases around Rs 3,700 crore every month.
This e-KYC step was introduced following complaints that the male members were receiving this assistance amount and even some government employees were also registered as beneficiaries.
What Is The Aim Of The Scheme
The scheme was designed to financially support women from the economically vulnerable segments in Maharashtra. Launched in mid-2024, it offers assistance to women between the ages of 21 years and 65 years old. The eligibility here is the age and their total annual family income, which should be under Rs 2.50 lakh. These women are eligible to receive this assistance monthly. The marital status of women is not applicable; they can be married, single, widowed, or abandoned.
Ever since the introduction of the scheme, thousands of women across Maharashtra have enrolled themselves and benefitted from it, making it an effective and successful scheme.
