Gwalior, March 13 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday said that the state government has transferred Rs 52,000 crore to over 1.25 crore women under the Ladli Behna Yojana in the last three years, countering the Congress' claim that it was merely an election gimmick.
Addressing a function in the Ghatigaon area of Gwalior district, he electronically deposited Rs 1,836 crore into the bank accounts of more than 1.25 crore eligible beneficiaries as the March installment under the direct cash transfer scheme.
"The success of the Ladli Behna Yojana is an answer to the questions raised by the Congress. When the scheme was launched, the Opposition called it an election gimmick. In three years, a sum of Rs 52,000 crore has already been given to beneficiaries," Yadav said.
Under the scheme, targeted at women from underprivileged backgrounds, a sum of Rs 1,500 is given to each eligible beneficiary per month. The stipend was increased from Rs 1,250 to Rs 1,500 last year.
"Rakshabandhan may come once a year, but now the 'rakhi' (financial assistance under Ladli Behna Yojana) reaches (beneficiaries) every month. Many women have started their own businesses with this money," he maintained.
The Chief Minister noted that the scheme, launched in 2023 by the then-BJP government, has benefited women across the state and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting welfare initiatives for all sections of society.
He also told the gathering that industrial projects worth Rs 12,000 crore are coming up in the Gwalior region.
Referring to tourism potential, Yadav said that cheetahs have been introduced in the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district, while tigers are present in the Madhav National Park in Shivpuri district, which will boost wildlife tourism in the region.
The BJP government plans to increase milk output and also enhance fish production in Madhya Pradesh, he stated.
Speaking on the occasion, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia noted that Yadav is the first chief minister of Madhya Pradesh from the erstwhile Gwalior state.
Yadav, who assumed office in December 2023, hails from Ujjain district, which was once part of the Scindia kingdom.
"This (Yadav as CM) is a matter of pride for the Gwalior region. (Under his leadership) Development work is being carried out from Ghatigaon to Vijaypur, Sheopur, Balaghat, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Rewa and Sidhi," Scindia, the scion of the erstwhile royal family of Gwalior, asserted.