Hangs in the Balance: Maharashtra tribal women tie phones to trees for Ladkhi Bahin OTP; state struggles with digital divide

NASHIK/PUNE: A half-hour trek uphill, a line of women waiting in the midday heat for an OTP that rarely arrives. Their eyes fixed on a phone tied to a tree - praying for a single bar of signal.

Digital welfare dream meets patchy network reality in the tribal heartland of Maharashtra's Nandurbar district as hundreds of beneficiaries are trying to complete the state-mandated e-KYC process to keep receiving their monthly Ladki Bahin Yojana payout.

In Kharde Khurd village of Dhadgaon taluk, women walk nearly 30 minutes uphill to find a patch of signal.

More than 500 beneficiaries from the Bhamane group gram panchayat and Kharde Khurd are forced to wait in the sun, hoping the phone - secured on a tree - will connect to a network, often from across the border in Gujarat or Madhya Pradesh. Success rate: below 5%.

We've set up a camp here, this is the only place where the mobile catches data," said Rakesh Pawara, co-founder of Ulgulan Foundation, an NGO. "But the verification fails most of the time."

State govt's decision to make e-KYC mandatory has left beneficiaries in remote areas scrambling. Websites load slowly, OTPs take ages, and the Aadhaar-linked verification process times out repeatedly.

"Out of more than 100 women trying, only five or 10 get through," said a volunteer at the site. For women like Usha Pawara, each attempt is an ordeal. "To reach the taluka office in Dhadgaon, we trek and then pay Rs 300 for transport. It's not possible for us," she said.

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar reiterated Friday that the e-KYC is non-negotiable. "Only verified beneficiaries will receive funds," he told reporters in Pune. "I know there are difficulties, but there is no alternative. The deadline can be extended if needed, but completion is mandatory."

The current cut-off is Nov 15. The directive follows growing frustration across rural Maharashtra - OTP failures, patchy internet, and confusion over cases involving divorced or deceased family members. "No clarity exists on what to do in such cases. These are genuine concerns," an NGO worker assisting women said.

Dhadgaon tehsildar Dnyaneshwar Sapkale admitted the difficulties. "Mobile towers came up four-five months ago, but connectivity is still weak. We've asked operators to fix the issue. We're helping women through common service centres and Aadhaar operators," he said. Women and child development minister Aditi Tatkare recently announced that the Sept payout had started and reminded beneficiaries to complete e-KYC at ladkibahin.maharashtra.gov.in within two months.

But replies to her social media post showed the depth of distress. "What about women who don't have their husband's or father's Aadhaar due to death or separation?" one user asked. From rural Pune to Solapur and Nanded, the complaints resonate.

"I received the Sept amount, but OTPs never come," said Maya W from Pune. "Sometimes the portal doesn't open at all." Another woman, Sunita J, said she has visited the Seva Kendra twice but never got a response.

Tatkare assured her department is working to fix OTP and data issues. Over 2.5 crore women are enrolled under Ladki Bahin Yojana, which pays eligible women Rs 1,500 a month. For now, the right hands are reaching skyward - the digital bridge to Ladki Bahin Yojana has turned into a steep mountain to climb.