On Sunday (27 August), Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan organised a ‘Ladli Bahna Sammelan’ at Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal to mark the upcoming festival of Raksha Bandhan. Speaking at the event, he gave several gifts to nearly 1.25 crores of women in the state, while honouring them as his own ‘mothers’ and sisters, in line with his endearing nickname ‘mama’.
मां, बहन और बेटी के पवित्र रिश्ते को आज मैं प्रणाम करने आया हूं। pic.twitter.com/qWIZvpK24Y
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) August 27, 2023
For those unversed, the women and girl child have affectionately given him the moniker mama.
Citing the holy month of ‘Shrawan’, the state Chief Minister announced a 25% hike in the financial aid that is given to women under the Ladli Behna scheme by his government. Now, under this scheme, the women will get Rs 1,250 per month.
In a slew of announcements, CM Chouhan added that the state government will now give 35 percent reservation for women in government jobs. Regarding job reservations, he conveyed that the reservation for women in government jobs has been raised to 35 percent from the current 30 percent and it will be 50 percent in teachers’ recruitment.
मेरी बहनों और बेटियों, हम ये भी फैसला कर रहे हैं…
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) August 27, 2023
सरकारी पदों में भी कई पद ऐसे होते हैं, जिन पर सरकार नियुक्तियां करती हैं, उन पदों पर अब कम से कम 35% नियुक्तियां बेटियों-महिलाओं की होगी। pic.twitter.com/XDAR5PyzVu
Further, he added that the government will make a permanent system to provide a gas cylinder for women at Rs 450 from the current month onwards.
He said, “Women will get cooking gas at Rs 450 in the holy month of Sawan. Later, a permanent system will be evolved in this regard. I have also transferred Rs 250 into the accounts of 1.25 crore women so that they can celebrate Rakhi (on Tuesday) well. The rest of the Rs 1,000 (under Ladli Behna Yojana) will be credited in September.”
मैं आज अभी इसी क्षण सिंगल क्लिक से तुम्हारे खाते में राखी के लिए 250 रुपए डाल रहा हूँ, जिससे तुम राखी अच्छे से मना सको।
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) August 27, 2023
10 सितंबर को लाड़ली बहनों के खाते में फिर 1000 रुपए डाले जाएंगे और अक्टूबर से आपके खाते में 1250 रुपए डाले जाएंगे। pic.twitter.com/fZZKhR96UV
Electricity bills will be slashed to a bare minimum
Further, CM Shivraj added that many sisters conveyed to him that their electricity bills have increased a lot in the recent past. Responding to that, he assured them that his government has decided that there will be no recovery of increased electricity bills and he will make necessary arrangements for that.
He categorically stated that the increased bills would become zero in September. He added that afterward, the electricity bill of poor women will be brought within the range of Rs 100 every month.
मेरी बहनों, आज मैं फैसला करता हूं कि बढ़े हुए बिजली के बिलों की वसूली नहीं होगी।
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) August 27, 2023
गरीब बहन का बिल हर महीने ₹100 आए, इसका इंतजाम किया जाएगा। pic.twitter.com/pW34mOY5tv
CM Shivraj asserted that those women who are homeless and have been left under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana will be given houses under the Chief Minister Awas Yojana.
He said, ‘The government will give free plots to those sisters who do not have land to live on. We have got rid of a lot of land in the city from the mafia. Will build houses for the poor on that land. And those houses will be registered in the name of sisters.”
Ladli Behna Yojana scheme
As per the announcement made by CM Shivraj Singh, around 1.25 crore women will get Rs 1,250 (under Ladli Behna Yojana) from October month. Later on, the amount will gradually be hiked to Rs 3,000 per month so that the aim of uplifting the economic and social condition of women is fulfilled, the CM added.
The Ladli Behna Yojana started on June 10 this year and as per official data of the state government, around Rs 3,628.85 crores have been given as financial aid to eligible women under this government scheme.
In this scheme, women in the age group of 23-60 years receive Rs 1,000 per month in their bank account if they are not paying income tax and their families earn less than Rs 2.5 lakh annually.
During the event, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also showered flower petals on the women present in the program and sang songs eulogising the brother-sister relationship. Meanwhile, many women tied Rakhi on his wrist to celebrate the upcoming festival of Raksha Bandhan.
