In Madhya Pradesh, Ladli Behna Costs Soar As State Debt Hits Record Highs

In June 2023, the then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan initiated a major financial shift by transferring over Rs 1,200 crore to approximately 1.25 crore women. Two and a half years later, the current Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is set to continue this tradition in Narmadapuram. At a state-level Ladli Behna conference, he will oversee the transfer of more than Rs 1,836 crore to the bank accounts of 1.2531 crore eligible women.

While the continuity of the scheme remains, the scale of the financial commitment has increased significantly. The monthly assistance was raised from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 in November 2025, with a political promise to eventually reach Rs 3,000. What started as a focused welfare intervention is now one of the highest recurring costs in the state's budget.

Despite the rising costs, the actual number of women benefiting from the scheme is quietly decreasing. When the programme launched, there were roughly 1.29 crore beneficiaries, a number that peaked at 1.31 crore by October 2023. Today, that figure has dropped back to nearly 1.25 crore.

Over the last 30 months, more than 5.7 lakh women have been removed from the scheme, while the government has frozen all fresh enrolments. Many of these women, roughly 1.5 lakh, became ineligible after turning 60. This specific demographic was considered a vital part of the BJP's electoral success in 2023. Government officials have confirmed in the Assembly that names are being deleted based on age and eligibility, but no new names are being added to fill those gaps.

Former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan previously described to NDTV how the concept was born, “One night I couldn't sleep. At four in the morning, I woke my wife and told her that all my sisters see me as their brother. A brother should give something to his sisters. Annual help won't change lives. Monthly support will help them live with dignity.”

When officials expressed concerns about where the funding would come from, Chouhan insisted that this was not merely a government programme, but a movement.

Today, that movement carries a heavy price tag. In just 30 months, Madhya Pradesh has transferred a total of Rs 48,632.70 crore to women across the state. A significant portion of this, over Rs 38,600 crore, was disbursed during the tenure of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav between January 2024 and December 2025.

The monthly cost to the exchequer has jumped from Rs 1,540 crore to nearly Rs 1,850 crore. Projections for the 2026-27 financial year suggest the scheme alone will cost the state roughly Rs 22,680 crore.

This massive expenditure comes at a time when the state's finances are under immense pressure. Over the last two years, Madhya Pradesh has been borrowing an average of Rs 125 crore every single day. The total outstanding debt has climbed to Rs 4,64,340 crore, which is about Rs 43,000 crore more than the state's entire annual budget.

To put this in perspective, the state now pays nearly Rs 27,000 crore every year just in interest. Two decades ago, during the Congress rule, the total debt of the state was approximately Rs 20,000 crore.