Maharashtra Utilizes Existing Women's Data for Ladki Bahin Scheme

The Maharashtra government plans to use existing data from various departments for its newly announced 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme, according to an official. This initiative, introduced ahead of the assembly elections, will provide eligible women with Rs 1,500 per month.

Officials from different departments convened on Wednesday to discuss the implementation of this scheme. The aim is to utilise existing data to minimise the burden of new data collection, stated an official from the Women and Child Development (WCD) department.

Data Sharing Among Departments

Departments such as Rural Development and Food and Civil Supplies already possess databases of women beneficiaries from previous schemes. These departments have been instructed to share their data with the WCD department, which will oversee the implementation of the Ladki Bahin Yojana, mentioned an official from the Food and Civil Supplies department.

The WCD department will compile this data, including bank account details and other necessary information, and forward it to the IT department for money disbursement. This pre-existing data is relatively easy to access and consolidate since it has been used periodically for fund distribution through other schemes.

Challenges with New Data

However, new data generated by women wishing to enrol in the Ladki Bahin scheme presents a challenge. The application form can be submitted via a mobile app or physically. "But this data has to be scrutinised and verified, which is a humongous task given the short time we have," said a WCD department official.

The Eknath Shinde government has allocated Rs 25,000 crore for the Ladki Bahin Yojana through supplementary demands tabled during the ongoing Monsoon session of the state legislature.