Shirdi, Jan 18 : Even as a verification campaign to stop ineligible women from availing the benefits of the Ladki Bahin Yojana is yet to be completed, nearly 4,000 women from across Maharashtra have relinquished the scheme.

The women have also started returning the benefit to the respective district administration, Women and Child Welfare Minister Aditi Tatkare said on Saturday on the sidelines of NCP's two-day 'Sankalp Shibir' at Shirdi.

"Some women, who have already got the monthly benefit for June to December under Ladki Bahin Yojana, have started returning the benefits. Some applications were received last month. The administration is getting more applications this month as well. Realising that they are not eligible for this scheme, some women are rejecting the benefits of the scheme by filling the applications. Therefore, this proves that our beloved sisters are also honest," said Aditi Tatkare.

Her announcement comes two days after she said that the government approved the disbursement of Rs 3,690 crore to provide the monthly aid of Rs 1,500 to 2.46 crore beneficiaries under the Ladki Bahin Yojana before Republic Day.

"So far, 4,000 women beneficiaries have returned the financial aid they received under the Ladki Bahin Yojana. However, this figure is an estimate. About 100-150 applications were received in December. More were being received in January. The money returned by these women will be deposited back into the government treasury. For this, a separate refund head will be created and that fund will be used for public welfare," said the minister.

The Department sources said that the women have been coming forward seeking to discontinue the benefit, fearing the money will be recovered along with a penalty if found ineligible during the ongoing verification exercise.

The minister explained, "Except for women beneficiaries holding yellow and orange ration cards, the applications of other women will be scrutinised. Help from the Transport and Income Tax departments is being taken. Therefore, this will be a continuous process. As a result, the number of women withdrawing their applications may change continuously."

The Mahayuti government launched the MukhyaMantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana in July last year. Nearly 2.63 lakh women across the state applied of which about 2.46 crore became eligible for the monthly aid of Rs 1,500.

During the implementation, the government realised that some ineligible women also received the benefit. In the wake of complaints received in various districts, the government subsequently launched the verification of the applications.

The minister has recently said that the state government is not launching any drive to scrutinise the beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin Yojana.

"We have not changed any government policies. We are only addressing the complaints filed with local government offices," added Aditi Tatkare.

The minister further stated, "No application will be scrutinised in general. We will not scrutinise any application without a complaint. If there has been an increase in income or if the income has gone above Rs 2.5 lakh, then those women will not be eligible for the scheme; women with four-wheelers, who have done inter-state marriages are not eligible for this scheme; if the name on the Aadhaar card is different from the name in the bank and if it is brought to our attention, then the concerned woman will be ineligible," she said.

According to Aditi Tatkare, the Women and Child Welfare Department has received five types of complaints regarding the Ladki Bahin Yojana.

"We will be verifying these complaints. Some complaints have been received from the local administration, while some beneficiary women have written letters informing them that they are no longer eligible for the scheme. The applications for which complaints have been received will be verified. However, there will be no change in the original government resolution," she remarked.

/IANS