Maharashtra Government's Welfare Scheme Embroiled in Controversy Over Ineligible Beneficiaries

A political controversy has erupted after around 80 lakh women were found ineligible during the verification process in the Maharashtra government's flagship welfare scheme'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Behen '. Senior Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Jayant Patil on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the government and demanded accountability. Jayant Patil questioned that if 80 lakh beneficiaries were fake in this scheme, why did the government give them the benefit of the scheme for the last 20 months? He raised doubts and asked - was it a planned corruption? Patil further said - Around Rs 24,000 crore was distributed to these 80 lakh ineligible women at Rs 1,500 per month per woman. The government should tell who is responsible for this huge amount. The former minister alleged that no concrete verification mechanism was put in place while the government launched the scheme. He also questioned whether the scheme was run without scrutiny for electoral gains. Jayant Patil demanded that the government fix responsibility for this lapse and how come such a large number of beneficiaries were found eligible even after the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis suddenly said that the scheme would not be verified.