'Ladli Behna Yojana' to continue despite financial burden on MP govt: CM Yadav

Bhopal, Dec 12 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Thursday that the BJP-led state government will continue the 'Ladli Behna Yojana' in the state despite claiming that the women-centric flagship has created a 'financial burden' on the state's budget.

Chief Minister Yadav made this statement during a press conference, highlighting the achievements and steps taken to strengthen the financial state of the Madhya Pradesh government during the past year under his leadership.

He said that when this scheme was launched, a perception was made that it would not last for a longer period. However, the state government has ensured to deposit every installment of the scheme on its scheduled date without any delay and it could happen because of improvement in the financial position of the state.

"We accept that Ladli Behna Yojana has created an extra financial burden on the government, but at the same time, we have also increased our earning resources during this period. Ladli Behna Yojana will continue," CM Yadav said.

The 'Ladli Behna Yojana' was introduced by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in June 2023, a few months before the Assembly elections held in the state.

This scheme has played a crucial role in BJP's stellar victory in the 2023 Assembly polls, propelling a two per cent surge in voting by women in the state.

Under the scheme, the state government provides financial assistance to the women (under certain conditions) of Rs 1,250 per month.

The scheme was launched claiming to make women more financially independent, maintain self-reliance, and improve the health and nutritional status of their dependent children by providing monetary benefits.

The concept of this freebie scheme was adopted by some other state governments as well. However, reports suggested that the Ladli Behna scheme costs Rs 19,000 crore financial burden on the cash-strapped government.

Source: IANS