**Mumbai Bank Launches Zero-Interest Loans to Support Women Under Ladki Bahin Scheme**
Mumbai: As the Ladki Bahin scheme experiences a slight decline, Mumbai Bank has introduced a new initiative aimed at supporting women beneficiaries of the program. Under the vision of BJP leader Pravin Darekar, the bank is offering zero percent interest loans to women recipients of the Chief Minister’s Ladki Bahin Yojana, which was launched on September 4.
The rollout event took place at Mumbai Bank’s head office auditorium in Fort and was attended by the bank’s chairman and MLA Pravin Darekar. During the press conference, Darekar shared, “Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis personally addressed the sisters present at the program where loans were provided at zero percent interest from Mumbai Bank. The Maharashtra government launched the Ladki Bahin Yojana to provide ₹1,500 per month to women in order to improve their financial condition and ensure their overall development.”
He further explained, “The women can use the monthly amount to invest in their businesses. This idea aligns with the vision of Honorable Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Saheb. I requested the Chief Minister to allow me to provide 1 lakh interest-free loans to these beloved sisters.”
### Key Details of the Loan Program
Under this initiative, Mumbai Bank will offer loans up to ₹1 lakh to Ladki Bahin beneficiaries at zero percent interest. According to a report by *Saamana*, approximately 5,000 women are expected to benefit from this program. At the launch event, loans were disbursed to the first 200 beneficiaries.
The event was also attended by Mumbai Bank Vice President Siddharth Kamble, along with other dignitaries including Shivajirao Nalawade, Prasad Lad, Nandkumar Katkar, Shilpa Sarpotdar, Tejaswini Ghosalkar, Kavita Deshmukh, and Sandeep Ghandat.
### Introduction of QR Code Service
In addition to the loan scheme, the bank also introduced a QR code service rollout at the same event, aimed at facilitating easier and more secure transactions for beneficiaries.
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### Recent Updates on the Ladki Bahin Scheme
The Maharashtra government encountered controversy and audits in 2025 over irregularities in the scheme’s benefit disbursements. Minister Aditi Tatkare revealed in August that around 26 lakh women might be ineligible for the benefits.
In response, a physical verification drive was launched to confirm eligibility based on criteria such as age, income, and household status. The government temporarily paused payments in July 2025 to complete this verification process, with plans to resume payouts to eligible women subsequently.
An audit uncovered fraudulent enrollments, including over 14,000 men listed as beneficiaries, resulting in ₹21 crore being wrongly disbursed. Opposition leaders have demanded a CBI investigation into alleged scams worth ₹4,800 crore linked to the scheme.
Despite these challenges, the government disbursed the July installment of ₹1,500 on August 8 to the verified eligible beneficiaries.
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Mumbai Bank’s new zero-interest loan program aims to revitalize support for women under the Ladki Bahin scheme, promoting financial empowerment and encouraging entrepreneurship among Maharashtra’s women.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-bank-launches-0-interest-loans-for-women-recipients-of-ladki-bahin-scheme-bjp-leader-pravin-darekar-supports-initiative