Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, speaking at a Bundeli Samagam in Bhopal, admitted that the state’s flagship Ladli Behna scheme is a “very costly affair” for the exchequer—its annual cost now sits at ₹22,680 crore. Since its launch on March 5, 2023, the program has escalated from an initial ₹1,000 monthly stipend to ₹1,500, a move that has pushed yearly costs higher.
The BJP promised a future hike to ₹3,000 over five years—an ambition that clashes with the shrinking pool of beneficiaries. As of September 1, the eligible women have fallen to just over 1.25 crore, down from 1.31 crore in October 2023, while 6.25 lakh women have dropped out of the scheme’s rolls.
Congress MLA Mahesh Parmar pressed the government on reopening registrations for newly eligible women, but Minister Nirmala Bhuria replied that no timeframe could be given. The lack of a mechanism to add fresh beneficiaries has left the base shrinking faster than the payments grow.
The first installment transfer in June 2023 alone cost ₹1,143.15 crore, disbursing ₹1,000 to 1,117,70835 women and a differential amount to 651,788 pensioners. The state’s financial ledger now shows a monthly outlay of ₹1,500 per beneficiary, amounting to nearly 1.3 crore payouts each month.
With the scheme’s cost looming, state officials face mounting pressure to either recalibrate payments or devise a mechanism to expand the beneficiary base. The debate in the Assembly will decide whether to keep the current stipend or rethink the program’s sustainability.