India, July 27 -- More than 14,000 men snuck into the sisterhood that receives a monthly payout of Rs.1,500 under the state's flagship Ladki Bahin Yojana. These 14,298 men, who fraudulently received the direct cash benefit for 10 months, caused a loss of Rs.21.44 crore to the state exchequer.

The Ladki Bahin Yojana was a game-changer for the Mahayuti coalition, helping them sweep to power in last year's assembly election. Its beneficiaries are meant to be exclusively women from low-income groups, aged between 21 and 65. The money is meant to improve their health, nutrition, and general well-being.

Announced in June last year, the scheme has been controversial for the unprecedented burden it has placed on the state's finances. It has als...