Digvijay Questions Madhya Pradesh Govt's Ladli Behna Scheme, Calls It A Drop in Ocean to Make Women Self-Reliant
Mr. Singh said instead of doling out such meagre assistance, the state government should provide government jobs to the major sons, brothers and kin of the beneficiaries.
Bhopal: Congress veteran and former chief minister Digvijay Singh on Saturday questioned the rationality behind implementation of the Ladli Behna scheme by the Madhya Pradesh government, saying that the financial assistance given under it is like ‘a drop in ocean’ to make women self-reliant.
Mr. Singh slammed the state BJP government for ‘creating a hype’ over the scheme, reminding the ruling BJP that the money paid under it is borne by the state exchequer.
“The monthly assistance of Rs 1,250 given to the beneficiaries each under the scheme is like a drop in the ocean to make them self-reliant”, the former chief minister said.
He was referring to the state government’s claim that the scheme was launched with an objective to make the women beneficiaries self-reliant.
Around 1.26 crore women have been enrolled in the scheme as beneficiaries.
The state government has disbursed a whopping Rs 41,000 crore so far ever since it was introduced by the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan government three months before the December 2023 Assembly polls.
The Congress leader wondered if the paltry assistance could fetch nutritious food or milk for the children of the beneficiaries and if the assistance could help the family members of the beneficiaries get costly medical treatment in private hospitals and costly education for their children.
The meagre financial assistance won’t even help the beneficiaries observe major functions or festivals in their houses, he said.
Mr. Singh said instead of doling out such meagre assistance, the state government should provide government jobs to the major sons, brothers and kin of the beneficiaries.
He is the first Congress leader to criticize the scheme in Madhya Pradesh.