00:07The state's debt is headed for an all-time high of Rs 9.32 lakh crore.
00:13That is Rs 82,000 per citizen.
00:15And in the middle of this financial mess,
00:18the government thought it was a great idea to blow Rs 4,800 crore.
00:22No checks, no verification, just blind distribution.
00:26Why? To win elections.
00:27Yes, we are talking about the Mukhyamantri Machi Ladki Bahin Yojna.
00:32A scheme pitched as financial help for women in need.
00:36But what it has turned into is one of the biggest, most embarrassing scams in Maharashtra's recent history.
00:42And the worst part?
00:44This wasn't some glitch in the system.
00:46It was a feature.
00:47It was meant to be misused.
00:49The fraud did not happen by accident.
00:51It was invited.
00:53This is not just a story of scamsters slipping through the cracks.
00:56This is a story of a government handing out blank checks without zero accountability.
01:02And now, it's the people of Maharashtra who are left to foot the bill.
01:07Hello, I'm Tejas and you're watching Honest Take on Lokhmad Times.
01:10In today's video, we break down how the Maharashtra government spent Rs 4,800 crore,
01:16your money on fake or fraudulent beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin scheme.
01:21And here is the kicker.
01:23Some of them were men.
01:25Yes, men cashing in on a scheme meant for financially vulnerable women.
01:30So hit that subscribe button if you haven't already.
01:33And let's dive into the details of this story.
01:35The numbers are staggering.
01:37According to the Women and Child Development Department's audit,
01:4026.34 lakh ineligible people got enrolled in the scheme.
01:45That's more than the population of Nagpur city.
01:48And what did they get?
01:49Rs 1,500 per month.
01:51For how long?
01:52About 10 months.
01:53That adds up to Rs 4,800 crore in fraudulent payments.
01:57Let's break that down.
01:597,97,000 women enrolled as third members of their family,
02:04despite the two women per family rule.
02:06This alone cost the state Rs 1,196 crore.
02:1014,298 men literally registered as women and got money.
02:15Yes, you heard that right.
02:17Men gaming a woman only scheme.
02:19They got away with Rs 21.44 crore.
02:221.62 lakh women from families owning four villas also got benefits.
02:28Never mind the income gap.
02:292,289 government employees conveniently forgot they weren't eligible.
02:34They still received payouts.
02:37You would think a scheme of this size would have checks and balances.
02:41Think again.
02:41It had loop holes wide enough to drive an SUV through it,
02:45which many of these poor beneficiaries probably did.
02:48Only after the election does settle, did Mahayuti ministers suddenly notice the fraud.
02:54Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare announced the suspension of payments
02:59to all 26.34 lakh ineligible names in June 2025.
03:05District collectors will now verify each case.
03:07Deputy CM Ajit Pawar made a tough-sounding statement.
03:11We will recover the money.
03:12If they don't cooperate, we will take action.
03:15But here is the thing.
03:16Where was this concern when your government rushed this scheme without verification?
03:21State finance officials had warned the government.
03:23They flagged the financial burden.
03:25They highlighted the absence of verification tools.
03:28Still, the cabinet gave the green light in June 2024.
03:32Why?
03:33Because elections were just months away.
03:35This was never about helping women.
03:37It was about buying goodwill.
03:40And now, they are acting shocked about the consequences.
03:43The real damage isn't just Rs. 4800 crore.
03:46It is what that money could have done.
03:49Maharashtra's debt is now set to increase to Rs. 9.32 lakh crore,
03:54up from Rs. 7.1 lakh crore last year.
03:57That's a jump of over Rs. 2 lakh crore in 12 months.
04:00The revenue deficit?
04:01Rs. 45,891 crore.
04:04Fiscal deficit, Rs. 1.36 lakh crore.
04:07Just the interest payments eat up Rs. 65,000 crore every year.
04:12It begs an important question.
04:13Where is the money coming from for this scheme?
04:16What is getting cut to make space for this scheme?
04:19The state slashed the Ladki Bahint budget by Rs. 10,000 crore this year.
04:23It promised Rs. 2,100 per women but can't even sustain Rs. 1,500.
04:29In order to continue with this scheme,
04:31shu-bhojan thalis may be discontinued.
04:33Eggs were removed from the midday meals for school kids.
04:37Farm loan waivers are indefinitely delayed.
04:40Minister Hassan Mushrif himself said,
04:42We promised farm loan waivers but the Ladki Bahint scheme is eating up Rs. 46,000 crore.
04:48When politicians start admitting their freebies are killing real governance, you know it's bad.
04:53The government is blaming technical loopholes.
04:56But here is what really happened.
04:58The online registration system had no biometric verification.
05:02No linking with Aadhaar or PAN for cross-checking.
05:05No integration with income tax databases.
05:07No cap on how many members per household could apply until crores were already spent.
05:14And absolutely zero coordination with other welfare schemes.
05:18In short, they wanted it to be easy, fast, loose.
05:21Why?
05:22Because speed is equal to more beneficiaries, is equal to more voters.
05:26This is what happens when political expediency trumps governance.
05:30So what happens now?
05:31The government is scrambling.
05:32Benefits to all 26 lakh ineligible names are paused.
05:36Income tax data is now being used for cross-verification.
05:40DCA Majid Pawar says recoveries will happen.
05:43Let's see how many crooks return the money willingly.
05:46But here is the kicker.
05:47This scam is not an exception.
05:49It's a symptom.
05:50Maharajra's financial management is broken.
05:5359% of debt is repayable in the next 7 years.
05:57That means over Rs. 60,000 crore will go every year just to repay loans.
06:01Capital expenditure is down from 13% to 11%, meaning fewer roads, fewer schools and long-term assets.
06:08Borrowings this year alone?
06:10Rs. 1.55 lakh crore.
06:12Mostly from open market.
06:14What happens if the credit rating drop?
06:16If the state government hasn't been able to understand it yet, here is my honest take.
06:21Populism is expensive.
06:24Maharashtra can't afford it anymore.
06:26Rs. 4,800 crore?
06:27Gone.
06:28Vested.
06:29Stolen.
06:29This isn't just about fake names and fraudulent claims.
06:32It's about a political establishment that puts votes above verification and headlines above homework.
06:39In the end, who pays for all this?
06:41The honest taxpayer.
06:42The student without eggs in her school meal.
06:45The farmer still waiting for his loan to be waived.
06:47The elderly, who can't afford their next hospital visit because the state slashed healthcare funds.
06:53Maharashtra can no longer afford governance by election manifestos.
06:58If the Mahayuti wants to prove it cares about governance, it must clean up this mess, recover every rupee, punish every scammer and stop launching poorly planned welfare schemes just to win the next poll.
07:11This wasn't just a scheme.
07:13It was daylight robbery rubber stamped by the cabinet.
07:16And Maharashtra, she is left holding the empty purse now.
07:20That's all for now on Honest Take with me, Tejas.
07:22Until next time, stay sharp, stay curious and never stop asking tough questions.
