Mumbai, 05 Aug (HS): Over 14,000 men who usurped

benefits under the ‘Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana’ in Maharashtra have been

issued notices, directing them to return the money within a month. Cases will

be registered against them if the money is not returned.

The Women and Child Welfare Department said on

Tuesday that more than 14,000 men fraudulently derived benefits under the Ladki

Bahin Scheme, which was meant only for women in the state. Over 14,000 men

using fake documents used fake documents to receive about Rs 21.44 crore. The

government has now started recovering money from the fake claimants, following

exposure of the scandal, from both men and ineligible women. Many women who

were getting benefits under other schemes or in government services or were

from the effluent class took benefits under the scheme, which was Rs 1,500 per

month.

MP Supriya Sule raised the issue and demanded a

high-level enquiry into the scandal. She also demanded an enquiry into the

software used to select the beneficiaries, and possible involvement of

government employees.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Ajay Vasant Mardikar