A political storm erupted in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly after the state government confirmed there is no proposal to open fresh registrations for the Ladli Behna Yojana. The government also said that there are currently no plans to increase the monthly assistance from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000.
The statement, made during the ongoing Budget Session, drew sharp reactions from the Opposition and highlighted the growing tension between the state's fiscal reality and its political promises.
Congress MLA Mahesh Parmar raised the first pointed question, asking why new registrations for eligible women have not been reopened. He reminded the House that the BJP had built its campaign around empowering women through this scheme and questioned why new applicants are now being left out.
Congress MLA Satish Sikarwar intensified the attack, demanding that the portal be reopened for new eligible women to register. He argued that the government cannot exclude women over 60 from the benefits and accused the ruling party of ignoring the concerns of potential beneficiaries. Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar also intervened, questioning the delay in registrations and the lack of clarity on the promised hike in assistance.
The Opposition collectively demanded that the Rs 1,500 assistance be doubled immediately and that social security pensions, currently at Rs 600, be increased to Rs 1,200.
Responding in the House, Women and Child Development Minister Nirmala Bhuria said that funds are being regularly deposited into the accounts of existing beneficiaries and no names have been removed without reason. She clarified that women over 60 are receiving old-age pensions under separate schemes.
However, she made it clear that there is no proposal under consideration for fresh registrations, nor is there a plan to increase the payout to Rs 3,000 at this stage. She added that the government is working within its financial means. Social Justice Minister Narayan Singh Kushwaha added that any increase in welfare payouts depends on the state's fiscal limitations.
Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav took a more political tone, reminding the Opposition that they had previously predicted the scheme would be discontinued, yet it continues uninterrupted. He reiterated that the government remains committed to increasing the monthly assistance to Rs 3,000 by 2028. On the issue of fresh registrations, he said the process would move forward gradually at the "appropriate time," without committing to a date.
The contrasting responses-fiscal caution from the ministers and long-term promises from the Chief Minister-fueled further tension, leading the Congress to stage a walkout in protest.
Launched in June 2023, the Ladli Behna Yojana is one of Madhya Pradesh's most expensive welfare programmes. The monthly assistance was raised from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 in November 2025, with a long-term promise to eventually reach Rs 3,000.
Over the last 30 months, the state has transferred Rs 48,632.70 crore to beneficiaries. The monthly expenditure is now nearing Rs 1,850 crore, and projections estimate the scheme will cost around Rs 22,680 crore in 2026-27.
Meanwhile, beneficiary numbers have fallen from a peak of 1.31 crore to approximately 1.25 crore, with over 5.7 lakh names reportedly deleted. Fresh enrolments remain frozen as the state grapples with a total debt of Rs 4.64 lakh crore and annual interest payments nearing Rs 27,000 crore.
The controversy deepened recently after Revenue Minister Karan Singh Verma reportedly warned at a public event that beneficiaries who fail to attend government programmes could see their names removed from the scheme. This followed earlier remarks by Cabinet minister Vijay Shah, who suggested that beneficiaries should show "political gratitude" for the assistance.
