Ahead of polls, women in Madhya Pradesh get a slew of benefits as ‘rakhi gift’ from CM

Madhya Pradesh CM announces sops for women, including raising LBY cash benefit to ₹1,250, reserving 35% posts in police & government jobs, 50% in teaching posts, subsidised gas cylinders and zero electricity bills. Aim is to make women lakhpatis.

Madhya Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on August 27 announced several new sops for women, including a raise from October in the monthly cash benefit provided under the Chief Minister Ladli Behna Yojana (LBY) to ₹1,250 from ₹1,000. 

At an event in State capital Bhopal, Mr. Chouhan termed his latest women-centric announcements as a gift on the occasion of the Raksha Bandhan festival (which will be celebrated on August 30) for the women of the State. He also said that he was transferring as ‘shagun’ (auspicious gift) an additional amount of ₹250 to each of the 1.25 crore beneficiaries of the scheme. 

The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has so far transferred three instalments of ₹1,000 each under the LBY since June, and Mr. Chouhan has spoken of gradually increasing the sum to ₹3,000. The Congress’ pre-poll promise includes payment of ₹1,500, and a gas cylinder for ₹500 every month to select group of women if it’s voted to power. 

At the Bhopal event, which was attended by a large number of women, Mr. Chouhan further said that his government would provide domestic gas cylinders for ₹450 for the Hindu month of Sawan, and efforts would be made to provide gas cylinders at the same subsidised rate in future as well. 

In addition to this, he also announced that the beneficiaries of the LBY would not have to pay electricity bills with recently increased tariffs. “In September, the hiked bills will be zero, and after that, arrangements will be made so that poor women have to pay just ₹100 as electricity bill every month,” Mr. Chouhan said. 

Other announcements made by him on Sunday included reserving 35% of posts in police and other government jobs for women, and 50% reservation for women in teaching posts. 

With these measures, and others such as paying education fees of beneficiaries, enabling women to secure bank loans with the government paying the interest, and reserving land for women in industrial areas to promote entrepreneurship, Mr. Chouhan said he aimed to make his sisters (referring to the women of the State) lakhpatis (earning a minimum of ₹1 lakh a year).