By Tehelka Bureau
A major irregularity has surfaced in Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister’s Ladli Behna Yojana. In Satna district, 27 women government employees allegedly availed benefits under the scheme despite being in government service. Authorities have now initiated recovery of the money received by them.
A district administration probe revealed that these 27 women were regular government employees, yet continued to remain on the eligibility list of the Ladli Behna scheme and kept receiving monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500. The discrepancy came to light during a data matching exercise involving treasury salary records and Samagra IDs.
So far, a total of Rs 5,05,450 has reportedly been deposited into the accounts of these women. The district administration has sought Aadhaar cards, Samagra IDs and bank details of the employees from the concerned departments and urban local bodies. The entire amount will soon be recovered from them.
Violation of Eligibility Rules
Under the rules of the Ladli Behna Yojana, only financially needy women whose annual family income is below Rs 2.5 lakh are eligible for the scheme. Women employed in government jobs are not entitled to receive its benefits.
District Women and Child Development Officer Rajeev Singh said that an inquiry into all 27 cases is underway. One woman was also found to have availed benefits under the Sambal Yojana.
The incident once again highlights the need for stricter scrutiny of eligibility criteria under the Ladli Behna scheme.
