India, June 3 -- Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday assured that the Government will not discontinue its flagship 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' welfare scheme, clarifying that 1.70 crore eligible women will keep receiving benefits despite the recent removal of lakhs of beneficiaries.

The chief minister's remarks have come after the April 30 deadline for e-KYC (Know Your Customer) verification, and a verification saw nearly 80 lakh beneficiaries being weeded out of the scheme, drawing sharp criticism from the Opposition parties.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting, Fadnavis said the state Government had undertaken a verification exercise of beneficiaries after the scheme was launched and seve...