Madhya Pradesh's Incentive For Homemakers From Poor Families Ahead Of Poll

Ahead of Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh later this year, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said his government will ensure a monthly income of Rs 10,000 for women from economically weaker sections who are homemakers.

To ensure this, these women will be able to avail bank loans at an interest rate of just two per cent with a government guarantee to repay it and self-help groups will be formed for them under the Livelihood Mission, he said.

"Our aim is that every woman must have monthly income of Rs 10,000. She can earn this from small chores along with household ones," Chouhan said.

Chouhan was speaking to the media after attending an event to disburse the second instalment of the state government's ambitious Ladli Behna scheme into the bank accounts of beneficiary women.

Under the scheme, beneficiary women are provided Rs 1,000 assistance from the state exchequer every month.

At the event, the CM transferred the second installment under Ladli Behna scheme into the bank accounts of 1.25 crore women beneficiaries with the click of a button.

The chief minister recently announced that the amount will be increased to Rs 3,000 in a phased manner.

"We have also decided to extend the benefit of the Ladli Behna scheme to married women in the age group of 21 to 23 years. They will be able to apply for it from July 25," Chouhan added.

Incidentally, the opposition Congress had said women will be given financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month if it comes to power in the year-end Assembly polls in MP.

Lashing out at the Congress, the CM said it had done nothing for women while in power but was shedding "crocodile tears" now over issues concerning them.

"The Congress ruled the country for 50 years. Did they do anything for women? I started the process of transferring Rs 1,000 per month into the bank accounts of women belonging to Baiga, Bhariya and Saharia tribes. It is well known that the previous Congress government under Kamal Nath snatched this money from these women," Chouhan said.

The Congress did not give money for the marriage scheme nor did it continue the scheme to give laptops to students scoring more than 70 per cent marks in Class XII exams, he alleged.

The laptop scheme has been revived and a distribution event for eligible students will be held on July 26, Chouhan informed.

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