In a major announcement ahead of the assembly elections, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said his government will provide Rs 1000 every month to women from all sections of the society who do not pay income tax.
A sum of Rs 60,000 crore will be spent on this scheme in five years, Mr Chouhan said addressing a programme on the banks of the Narmada river in Narmadapuram city on Saturday evening.
"Under the scheme, our sisters of all classes will get Rs 1,000 per month and if they are getting the benefits of other schemes, they will continue to get the same. An estimated 60 thousand crore rupees will be spent on the scheme in 5 years." He said that "Ladli Bahna Yojana will improve the lives of the sisters of the state. The Chief Minister said that "I have to empower my sisters financially. If the sisters are strong then the family will be strong, if the family is strong then the society will be strong, if the society is strong then the state will be strong."
There are around 1 Cr women in the state who will get the benefit of this scheme. Ahead of the assembly elections in 2018, Mr Chouhan sent five lakh letters to women across the state on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. In these letters, he has talked about all of the government's pro-women schemes. Through these letters, he sought another five years from 'his sisters' to make the state safe and prosperous for them.
During the last assembly elections, the participation of women voters rose by 3.75%. This figure was noteworthy as there were over 50 seats in which more women have voted than men. In several constituencies, the rise in percentage terms of female voters was between 10 and 12% and the congress was voted to power.
Chief Minister Chouhan also announced plans to construct a Narmada corridor and Narmada Lok on the lines of the Mahakal Lok at Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar temple.
The state Assembly polls are due in November this year.
