The registration of new beneficiaries under the Madhya Pradesh BJP government’s Ladli Behna scheme for women has not resumed since August 20, 2023, Minister Nirmala Bhuria said on Tuesday.
The scheme continues to provide financial assistance to eligible women, the state’s Minister for Women and Child Development stated in a written response to a question by Congress MLA Pratap Grewal in the state assembly.
Launched about six months before the November 2023 assembly elections, the Chief Minister Ladli Behna Yojana offers Rs 1,250 per month to eligible women beneficiaries. The scheme currently covers nearly 1.29 crore beneficiaries.
Grewal had asked several questions regarding the continuity of the scheme and the enrolment of new beneficiaries. In her reply, Bhuria confirmed that registration for beneficiaries under the scheme had been completed up to August 20, 2023, and that new registration had not yet started.
The minister also clarified that instructions have been issued separately for accepting new applications under the scheme. Pre-registration was carried out according to instructions from the Women and Child Development Department on March 4, 2023, and July 20, 2023, and the scheme has been implemented in phases.
Bhuria reaffirmed that the scheme is ongoing, and the benefits continue to be provided to beneficiaries.
The Ladli Behna scheme was first announced by then-Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in March 2023. Initially, the scheme provided Rs 1,000 per month to women beneficiaries, but this was increased to Rs 1,250 in October 2023.