Sources within the WCD Ministry told CNBC-TV18 that nearly 8 million beneficiaries did not receive the last two instalments under the scheme as the state government continued evaluating its beneficiary database.
Maharashtra’s WCD Ministry and the state government are yet to officially comment on or confirm these numbers, but sources told CNBC-TV18 that this figure includes those who did not complete their e-KYC and those found to be ineligible.
The numbers
When Maharashtra began evaluating its beneficiary list in 2025, there were 24.6 million registered beneficiaries under the scheme. However, the last two instalments were disbursed to only 16.6 million women, leaving a gap of nearly 8 million beneficiaries who did not receive their payments.
Who got removed and why
Of these 8 million beneficiaries, sources said that 2.5 million to 3 million names have been permanently struck off the list after they were found to be ineligible.
These beneficiaries fell into categories that disqualified them from the scheme, including:
- Owners of four-wheeler vehicles
- Individuals with an annual income exceeding ₹2.5 lakh
- Beneficiaries already enrolled under other government schemes and receiving ₹1,500 per month in benefits under those schemes
- Government officials
- Men who had fraudulently enrolled under the scheme
- Applicants who did not meet the prescribed age criteria
The state government is categorical that these names will not be reinstated under any circumstances.
5-5.5 million in limbo
The remaining 5 million to 5.5 million beneficiaries find themselves in a grey area. Their payments have been put on hold because they failed to complete their e-KYC verification, the deadline for which was the end of April.
What happens to them now remains unclear. A critical question — whether these women will resume receiving payments if they complete their e-KYC now, or whether they will be permanently removed for missing the deadline — is yet to be decided.
Adding to the ambiguity, WCD Ministry sources told CNBC-TV18 that the call is not theirs to make. The decision, they said, rests entirely with the state government.
The bigger question: What about the money already paid out?
It’s been around a year, but the state government is yet to answer an important question: what happens to the money that was already transferred to ineligible beneficiaries?
The audit and clean-up of the beneficiary list began last year, but for months after the process was initiated, 2.5 million to 3 million ineligible beneficiaries continued to receive payments. The state government has offered no clarity on whether this money will be recovered and, if so, how.
CNBC-TV18 reached out to the Maharashtra government and the WCD Ministry for an official response. Both are yet to comment.
(Edited by : Anshul)
First Published: Jun 1, 2026 12:27 PM IST
