Pune: Ladki Bahin Scheme Funds Diverted to Wrong Account, Waste Picker Woman Left Struggling

Fursungi, 19th June 2025: A grave case of administrative negligence has come to light in Fursungi, where Savitrabai Dutta Ankushe, a waste picker from Chandwadi, has been denied her rightful benefits under the Maharashtra government’s Ladki Bahin scheme. Despite her application being approved in March, she has not received a single rupee, only to discover that the funds are being credited to someone else’s account, allegedly a friend of the local E-Seva center operator.

According to Savitrabai, the E-Seva center operator filled out her application form using incorrect Aadhaar details. “I submitted all the required documents. My form was filled at the E-Seva center, and they told me everything was fine. But months later, I found out that the money is going to someone else—someone I don’t even know,” she said.

Repeated visits to the E-Seva center and help from the Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat (KKPKP) led to the shocking revelation. When confronted, the E-Seva operator admitted to the Aadhaar error but refused to take responsibility, stating that the mistake could no longer be corrected.

Adding to her plight, local police refused to register an FIR, claiming it was beyond their jurisdiction. Appeals to the Department of Women and Child Welfare were also met with indifference, with officials asking her to email a complaint, a message that remains unanswered.

“The man who’s getting my money withdraws it every month. Meanwhile, I’m running from one government office to another,” said Savitrabai, who supports a family of four through waste picking.

Further investigations revealed that the person receiving the funds is allegedly a close acquaintance of the E-Seva center operator. Although the police were informed, no legal action has been taken. The alleged beneficiary has been summoned several times but has failed to appear.

“I went back to the E-Seva center, and they told me the money was going into my husband’s account. But we don’t even have an account in that bank. When I located the actual account holder, he denied everything,” Savitrabai added.