Mumbai, June 05: In a significant move to crack down on fraudulent claims under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the Central government has empowered the Maharashtra government to access Income Tax Return (ITR) data. Through a notification dated June 3, 2025, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) authorised the Secretary of Maharashtraā€™s Women and Child Development Department to obtain income tax records to verify the eligibility of beneficiaries under the scheme.

This decision, issued under Section 138(1)(a)(ii) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, is expected to significantly strengthen the verification process. The state government can now identify and exclude individuals whose families are income tax payersā€”an automatic disqualification under the scheme. The move is aimed at improving transparency and ensuring that only women from economically weaker sections receive the monthly INR 1,500 assistance.Ā PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana June 2025 Kist: Know Expected PM Kisan 20th Instalment Date and How To Check Beneficiary Status.

The development follows a major revelation by Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare, who disclosed that over 2,200 government employees had wrongly availed benefits under the scheme, meant solely for underprivileged women.Ā Ladki Bahin Yojana May 2025 Instalment Date: When Will Maharashtra Women Beneficiaries Receive 11th Kist of INR 1,500 Under Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme?

Who Is Eligible for Ladki Bahin Yojana Scheme?

The Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana provides monthly financial assistance of INR 1,500 or more to eligible women. To qualify, a woman must be a resident of Maharashtra, aged between 21 and 65, and should either be married, widowed, divorced, abandoned, destitute, or the only unmarried woman in her family. Additionally, her familyā€™s annual income must not exceed INR 2.5 lakh, and she must have a bank account linked with Aadhaar.

Women from families with income tax payers are automatically deemed ineligible, irrespective of other criteria.Ā This data-sharing mechanism between the Income Tax Department and the state government is being hailed as a critical step toward cleaning up welfare schemes and reducing misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits. The Maharashtra government is expected to soon begin large-scale verifications using this newly granted access.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 05, 2025 03:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).