Chhattisgarh's ambitious women-centric welfare scheme, the Mahatari Vandan Yojana, launched with great fanfare by the Vishnu Deo Sai government, is now at the centre of a major political storm. Once projected as a lifeline for women empowerment in the state, the scheme is under sharp scrutiny after the number of beneficiaries reportedly dropped by nearly five lakh within just a few months. However, the state government issued a clarification.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the scheme in 2024 virtually from Raipur, transferring Rs 655.57 crore directly into the accounts of over 70.12 lakh women across the state. The Mahatari Vandan Yojana, which provides Rs 1,000 per month to women aged 21 and above, was among the BJP's flagship promises during the 2023 Assembly elections. However, when Union Home Minister Amit Shah released the 20th installment in October this year, government data revealed that only 64.94 lakh women received the amount, showing a shortfall of around five lakh beneficiaries.
This sharp decline has prompted an all-out attack from Congress, which has accused the ruling BJP of betraying the trust of women voters who helped bring them to power.
Congress spokesperson Dhananjay Singh Thakur alleged that the government has arbitrarily removed thousands of names without proper justification. "When Prime Minister Modi launched this scheme, 70 lakh women received the first installment. But during the 20th installment, more than five lakh women were left out. The BJP had promised that every woman in the state would benefit from the scheme, but after forming the government, it imposed new conditions and exclusions. This is a betrayal of Chhattisgarh's women," Thakur said.
The Congress has demanded that the government publish a full list of excluded names and reasons for exclusion, alleging that many genuine beneficiaries have been removed under the guise of data cleaning.
On the ground, several women confirmed that payments have been delayed or stopped entirely, despite earlier regular transfers. "Funds used to come every month, but this time nothing has arrived. Diwali is here, and if the money had come, we could have celebrated better," said Sangeeta Dubey, a beneficiary from Raipur.
Another woman, Renu Kumari from Dhamtari, said that her payments had been halted for a few months before resuming briefly. "We resubmitted our documents and got the money again, but this month, nothing has come," she said. Similarly, Momina Khatoon from Bilaspur said that she has not received funds for the past four months. Their accounts are among thousands across districts like Raipur, Durg, Korba, and Surguja, where beneficiaries say they have been left in the dark.
The state government, however, has dismissed the allegations of discrimination and mismanagement. Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Rajwade maintained that the reduction in numbers is the result of routine verification and data correction to ensure transparency.
"Monthly verification revealed that around 64,858 women beneficiaries have died, 707 women have voluntarily opted out, and 40,728 duplicate entries were identified and removed. For nearly 4 lakh women, bank e-KYC is still pending. Once the process is completed, their payments will resume. The portal will reopen soon to include new beneficiaries," Rajwade said, adding that there has been no cut in the scheme's budget or intent.
Despite the government's explanation, questions remain over why the verification and e-KYC process was not completed in time, especially when it directly affects lakhs of women dependent on this monthly assistance. Critics argue that what the government calls "verification" is, in effect, exclusion, a process that punishes genuine beneficiaries for administrative delays.
For beneficiaries like Sangeeta and Momina, the issue is not about politics or verification but about the loss of trust. "If the government could ensure that money reached our accounts before elections, why not now, when we need it the most?" Sangeeta said.
As the festive season approaches, the question remains unanswered: Where have Chhattisgarh's five lakh women gone from the Mahatari Vandan Yojana list? The government calls it a matter of verification; the opposition calls it betrayal. For thousands of women waiting for the Rs 1,000 that once arrived without fail, the silence is both political and personal.
