Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister's Assurance After No 'Ladli Behna' Mention In Speech

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday said the BJP 's manifesto was like the Ramayan and Gita and assured that all welfare schemes of the previous government will continue in the state.

Mr Yadav's statement came a day after women-centric 'Ladli Behna' programme did not find mention in the governor's address to the newly constituted assembly.

The four-day-long first session of MP's 16th assembly concluded on Thursday and it was adjourned sine die (indefinitely).

"All schemes from 'Ladli Laxmi' to others being run by the previous government will continue and funds will be transferred to beneficiaries' accounts on the due date," Mohan Yadav said in reply to the thanksgiving motion moved by senior BJP MLA Kailash Vijayvargiya after Governor Mangubhai Patel's address to the house on Wednesday.

However, when leader of opposition Umang Singhar specifically asked about Ladli Behna Yojana, CM Yadav said all schemes would continue.

Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's flagship scheme Ladli Behna provides Rs 1,250 per month financial assistance to eligible women and in the run-up to the November 17 assembly polls, the ruling BJP had promised to raise the amount to Rs 3,000 in a gradual manner.

Addressing the first session of the newly constituted assembly, Patel on Wednesday listed various central and state welfare schemes, but did not mention Ladli Behna Yojana.

Citing the governor's address, Congress members, including senior MLA Ramniwas Rawat and former minister Jaivardhan Singh, on Thursday demanded that CM Yadav clarify the status of the Ladli Behna scheme.

"The Sankalp Patra (manifesto) is like Gita and Ramayan to us and will be fulfilled in total. No government scheme would be stopped. We have earmarked funds for them," CM Yadav said.

Speaking in the House, Yadav said King Vikramaditya of Ujjain had gone to Ayodhya and built a Ram Temple 2000 years ago.

This was mentioned recently by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he added.

He assured the BJP government in MP will facilitate visits to Ayodhya for the Ram Temple inauguration on January 22.

The Congress put roadblocks in the construction of the Ram Temple and had even questioned the existence of Lord Ram, Yadav said in a swipe at the opposition party.

Places associated with Lord Krishna in the state will be turned into pilgrimage centres, Yadav added.

While Yadav was speaking about Lord Ram and Lord Krishna, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar said he must give sermons in a temple and asked the CM to come to the point and speak on the opposition's concerns. On this, Yadav said he would reply to the opposition.

Referring to the implementation of the Supreme Court order on fixing decibel levels for loudspeakers installed at religious places, Yadav said his government has just implemented the directives of the top court which the erstwhile Congress government had "failed to do so".

Hours after being appointed as the CM, Mr Yadav last week issued a directive prohibiting the use of loudspeakers at religious places beyond permissible decibel levels.

Yadav also said the world's standard time was set by India some 300 years ago, and an instrument for this was still available in Ujjain.

The practice of setting the time was carried out by the French for 50 years and now for the past 250 years by the British as per the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), he said.

A suggestion by Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh to the MP CM to set time as per "Indian standard" in the state right away elicited laughter from the opposition.

Mr Yadav said his government will work to help India regain its lost glory.

He also said the "double engine government" will ensure the welfare of eight crore people of MP. The BJP often refers to its governments in the states and at the Centre as a "double engine" mechanism that speeds up development.

After completing the listed business of the day, Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar adjourned the House sine die

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)