MP: Rs 250 'Rakhi gift' for women under Ladli Behna scheme, monthly help to be Rs 1500 from October

Ujjain: Some 1.27 crore women in the state who are beneficiaries of Ladli Behna scheme will receive Rs 250 as a Rakhi gift, and their monthly assistance will be hiked to Rs 1,500 from October, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Saturday.

Currently, eligible women receive Rs 1,250 per month under the scheme.

"The Raksha Bandhan festival symbolises the unbreakable bond of love between a brother and sister...With Rakhi (festival) on August 9, it is only fitting for brothers to offer gifts to their sisters. Our government will ensure Rs 250 reaches every Ladli Bahna (before August 9) as a token of affection," Yadav announced.

He was speaking at a state-level event held at Nalwa village in Ujjain district, where financial assistance was disbursed to beneficiaries of various schemes.

The government was committed to gradually increasing the monthly assistance under the Ladli Behna scheme to Rs 3,000, the chief minister further said.

"By Bhai Dooj (October 23) after Diwali, the monthly support will be raised from Rs 1,250 to Rs 1,500," he was quoted as saying in a government statement.

During the event, Yadav transferred Rs 1,543.16 crore to bank accounts of 1.27 crore Ladli Behna scheme beneficiaries as the 26th instalment.

While launching the scheme on June 10, 2023, under which women were given Rs 1,000 per month, then chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said that with hikes of Rs 250, the amount will be gradually raised to Rs 3,000 per month.

The scheme proved to be a game-changer for the ruling BJP which routed Congress in the November 2023 assembly polls.

At the event, CM Yadav also transferred Rs 46.34 crore in subsidy for LPG refills to over 30 lakh women under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.

In addition, Rs 340 crore was credited to 56.74 lakh social security pension beneficiaries.