Lek Ladki Yojana Maharashtra 2026: Rs 1,01,000 Benefit, Eligibility and How to Apply

In Maharashtra, there is a scheme for daughters that everyone talks about — at Anganwadi centres, gram panchayats and in village meetings. Some say the government gives money from a daughter’s birth until she turns 18, some say the application is online, some say the form must be filled at the Anganwadi. The internet carries many versions of this scheme’s details, and unfortunately, some of them are old or wrong.

In this post, we will tell you the complete truth — what this scheme really is and which department runs it, how much total help it gives and in which stages, which daughters are eligible and which are not, what the correct application process is, which documents are needed at each installment, and most importantly — what is new about the application process in 2026. In the final sections, you will also find how to protect yourself from the frauds that cheat people in the name of this scheme.

Quick-facts table

Information	Details
Scheme name	Lek Ladki Yojana
State	Maharashtra
Implementing department	Women and Child Development Department, Government of Maharashtra (through ICDS)
Total assistance	Rs 1,01,000 (in 5 installments)
Installments	Rs 5,000 at birth; Rs 6,000 in Class 1; Rs 7,000 in Class 6; Rs 8,000 in Class 11; Rs 75,000 at 18 years
Eligible daughters	Girls born on or after 1 April 2023
Ration card	Yellow or Orange ration card holder family
Family income limit	Annual income not more than Rs 1 lakh
Per family	Maximum 2 daughters
Application mode	Through the nearest Anganwadi Centre (form available there)
Official portals	icds.gov.in, womenchild.maharashtra.gov.in
Payment mode	DBT — directly into the Aadhaar-linked bank account

What Is Lek Ladki Yojana — First Understand This Clearly

Lek Ladki Yojana is an incentive scheme of the Government of Maharashtra, approved by the state cabinet in October 2023 and made effective from 1 April 2023. It is implemented by the Women and Child Development Department through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). The scheme replaced the earlier Maji Kanya Bhagyashree (Revised) Yojana.

The objectives of the scheme are clear — to promote the birth of girls, encourage girls’ education, reduce the mortality rate among girls, prevent child marriage, address malnutrition among girls, and bring the rate of out-of-school girls down to zero. In other words, this is not just a cash scheme; it is long-term support that stays with a daughter from her birth until she becomes an adult.

One important clarification at the start — this scheme has nothing to do with the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. The Ladki Bahin scheme gives Rs 1,500 per month to women aged 21 to 65, while the Lek Ladki scheme is for daughters and its money comes in five installments from birth to 18 years. The two names sound similar, so people often confuse them — the comparison table below will clear this confusion permanently.

How Much Money Do You Get Under Lek Ladki Yojana — Full 5-Installment Table

The scheme gives a total of Rs 1,01,000, but this amount does not come at once. It is paid in five stages, at different milestones in the girl’s life:

Stage	When it is paid	Amount
First installment	At the birth of the girl	Rs 5,000
Second installment	On admission to Class 1	Rs 6,000
Third installment	On admission to Class 6	Rs 7,000
Fourth installment	On admission to Class 11	Rs 8,000
Fifth installment	On completing 18 years of age	Rs 75,000
Total		Rs 1,01,000

The largest payment — Rs 75,000 — comes in the final stage. This installment has conditions attached: when the girl completes 18 years, her name must be in the voter list and she must be unmarried. Documents like a self-declaration and an identity card are needed for this installment. This condition is what makes the scheme a strong weapon against child marriage.

Beware of old, wrong figures: In the 2023 budget speech, the scheme’s initial figures were announced slightly differently (for example, Rs 4,000 in Class 1 and Rs 8,000 in Class 8). Later, the cabinet’s final decision fixed the installment structure as per the table above — Rs 6,000 in Class 1, Rs 7,000 in Class 6 and Rs 8,000 in Class 11. Many old websites on the internet still show the budget-speech figures. The correct information is the one in the official ICDS document, given above.

Who Is Eligible — Complete Eligibility Conditions

The benefit goes only to daughters who meet ALL of the following conditions:

Permanent resident of Maharashtra — the girl’s family must be a permanent resident of Maharashtra.
Date of birth — the girl must have been born on or after 1 April 2023. Girls born before this date do not fall under this scheme.
Ration card — the family must hold a Yellow or Orange ration card.
Income limit — the family’s annual income must not exceed Rs 1 lakh.
Number of daughters per family — a maximum of 2 daughters per family can get the benefit.
Unmarried — the beneficiary girl must be unmarried (this condition matters especially for the final installment).

Special situations written in the official rules:

If a family has one boy and one girl, the scheme benefit applies to the girl.
If twin daughters are born in the second delivery, both daughters get the benefit — but after that, the parents must undergo family planning surgery.
Submission of a family planning certificate is mandatory — at the time of the third installment of the first child, or the second installment of the second child.

Who Is Not Eligible

Girls born before 1 April 2023.
Families that do not hold a Yellow or Orange ration card.
Families whose annual income is more than Rs 1 lakh.
Families that are not permanent residents of Maharashtra.
The third daughter of the same family (except the twin exception above).

Required Documents — Complete List

The following documents may be needed at the time of application and at different installment stages. Keeping them ready in advance saves repeated trips:

Girl’s birth certificate
Aadhaar card of the girl and the parents
Yellow / Orange ration card
Income certificate (showing annual income up to Rs 1 lakh)
Residence proof (permanent resident of Maharashtra)
Bank passbook — Aadhaar-linked bank account (DBT comes into this account)
School certificate — admission proof for the Class 1, 6 and 11 installments
Family planning certificate — mandatory at the specified installment
Self-declaration — for the 18-year installment
Name in voter list / identity card — for the 18-year installment
Passport-size photo and registered mobile number

How to Apply for Lek Ladki Yojana — Step-by-Step

The confirmed application process is through the Anganwadi Centre. Follow these steps:

Visit the Anganwadi Centre — go to the nearest Anganwadi Centre in your village / locality. The application form is available there free of cost.
Fill the form — enter the girl’s name, date of birth, parents’ names, ration card number, bank account details and mobile number correctly. The spelling of names must match the Aadhaar card.
Attach documents — attach copies of the documents from the list above with the form.
Submit to the Anganwadi Sevika — hand over the filled form to the Sevika. She verifies the documents and uploads the application to the departmental portal.
Verification and approval — the application is verified by the CDPO (Child Development Project Officer) and at the district level. After approval, the first installment comes via DBT into the bank account.
Keep the application number safe — keep the receipt / application number you receive after submission. The same number will be needed for later installments.

Can you apply online? Some 2026 reports say the application process has been made easier and that an application facility is being provided through Maharashtra’s Aaple Sarkar portal, using Aadhaar-based verification and e-KYC. But the most reliable and confirmed route is the Anganwadi Centre. Before trusting any “apply online” link, ask at your Anganwadi Centre or CDPO office whether the online facility has started in your district.

Do you need a fresh form for every installment? No — once registration is done, you do not have to file a completely new application for every installment. When the girl reaches the next milestone (such as admission to Class 1 or Class 6), you only need to submit the proof for that stage (school certificate). The family planning certificate must be submitted at the specified installment.

Installment Not Received? How to Check Status

The scheme does not publish any public online list of beneficiary names. To know the status of an installment:

First check your bank passbook / bank app — the money comes via DBT directly into the account, and the entry may show the scheme name.
Check the SMS on your registered mobile number.
Contact your Anganwadi Sevika — she can tell you at which level the application stands.
If needed, visit the CDPO office with your application number.

If an installment is stuck, the most common reasons are — Aadhaar-bank link missing, bank account closed or inactive, name spelling mismatch in documents, or the required certificate (school certificate or family planning certificate) not submitted at the specified stage.

Lek Ladki vs Majhi Ladki Bahin — Understand the Difference

Point	Lek Ladki Yojana	Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana
For whom	Daughters (birth to 18 years)	Women (21 to 65 years)
Total benefit	Rs 1,01,000 (in 5 installments)	Rs 1,500 every month
Main eligibility condition	Yellow/Orange ration card, income up to Rs 1 lakh/year	Income up to Rs 2.5 lakh/year, other conditions
Birth condition	Girl born on or after 1 April 2023	Not applicable
Application	Through Anganwadi Centre	Through portal / app / camps
Department	Women and Child Development Dept (ICDS)	Women and Child Development Dept

Both schemes belong to the same department, but their beneficiaries, amounts and rules are completely different. In one family, the mother can get the Ladki Bahin benefit and the daughter can get the Lek Ladki benefit — both are possible, because they are for different individuals.

Protect Yourself From Fraud — Scam Alert

The application under this scheme is completely free. The form is free at the Anganwadi Centre. If anyone asks for money for the form, registration or to release an installment, it is fraud.
The government never asks for OTP, bank PIN or password on phone, SMS or WhatsApp. Anyone asking for these is a fraudster.
Beware of fake links like “check your name in the Lek Ladki Yojana list” — there is no public name-wise list for this scheme.
Apply only through the Anganwadi Centre / official channels. Do not hand over your documents to any agent.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is Lek Ladki Yojana?

Lek Ladki Yojana is a Maharashtra government incentive scheme in which eligible daughters born on or after 1 April 2023 get a total of Rs 1,01,000 in five installments from birth to 18 years of age.

2. How much total money do you get under Lek Ladki Yojana?

A total of Rs 1,01,000 — Rs 5,000 at birth, Rs 6,000 in Class 1, Rs 7,000 in Class 6, Rs 8,000 in Class 11, and Rs 75,000 on completing 18 years.

3. Who is eligible for Lek Ladki Yojana?

A daughter who is a permanent resident of Maharashtra, born on or after 1 April 2023, whose family holds a Yellow or Orange ration card and whose annual income is not more than Rs 1 lakh. A maximum of 2 daughters per family can get the benefit.

4. Are Ladki Bahin and Lek Ladki the same scheme?

No. The Ladki Bahin scheme gives Rs 1,500 per month to women aged 21–65, while the Lek Ladki scheme is for daughters and its benefit comes in five installments. They are two different schemes.

5. How to apply for Lek Ladki Yojana?

Visit the nearest Anganwadi Centre, take the free form, fill it, and submit it with documents to the Sevika. The Sevika uploads the application to the departmental portal, and after verification the installment comes via DBT.

6. Can I apply online?

2026 reports say the process has been made easier and mention the Aaple Sarkar portal, but the confirmed route is the Anganwadi Centre. Ask your Anganwadi Centre / CDPO about the online facility before relying on it.

7. Do I need a fresh form for every installment?

No. After one-time registration, you do not file a completely new application for every installment — you only submit the proof for that stage (like a school certificate) and the family planning certificate at the specified time.

8. When and how will the Rs 75,000 final installment come?

On the girl completing 18 years — the condition is that her name must be in the voter list and she must be unmarried. A self-declaration and identity card are needed for this installment.

9. Will twin daughters get the benefit?

Yes. If twin daughters are born in the second delivery, both get the benefit, but after that the parents must undergo family planning surgery.

10. What to do if an installment has not arrived?

First check the bank passbook / app and SMS, then contact your Anganwadi Sevika. If needed, visit the CDPO office with the application number. Also get the Aadhaar-bank link and name spelling in documents checked.

Important Links

Work	Official link / place
ICDS Maharashtra (official scheme information)	icds.gov.in
Women and Child Development Dept, Maharashtra	womenchild.maharashtra.gov.in
Aaple Sarkar portal (Maharashtra)	aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in
Application	Nearest Anganwadi Centre / CDPO office

Note: GramSuvidha is a private information portal, not a government website. The information above is based on the official ICDS documents of the Maharashtra government and 2026 news reports — rules and processes can change, so please confirm at your Anganwadi Centre / CDPO office before applying.