The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav acknowledged the financial burden of the Ladli Behna Yojana, a cash transfer scheme for women. The scheme was initially launched in October 2023 with monthly payments of Rs 1,000 and later increased to Rs 1,500.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has acknowledged the financial strain that his government's Ladli Behna Yojana has imposed on the state. The scheme was launched by former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in October 2023, offering monthly cash transfers of Rs 1,000 to women aged between 21 and 60, whose annual family income does not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh.
In October 2023 itself, the monthly payment was increased to Rs 1,250, a month before the Assembly elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had promised in its poll manifesto to further increase the amount to Rs 3,000 per month. The scheme is said to have contributed to the BJP's victory in the Assembly elections.
Since then, the monthly payments were increased again in November 2022, to Rs 1,500. According to a report by The Hindu, the budgetary allocation for the scheme for the financial year 2026-'27 stands at Rs 23,882 crore.
In September 2022, the Madhya Pradesh High Court sought responses from state authorities on a petition to close the cash transfer scheme. The petition raised concerns over the distribution of 'a very large amount of public money' without sufficient evidence that it creates lasting economic empowerment for women. It also requested details about borrowings, outstanding debt, interest liability, and future financial implications.
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