Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday announced a series of sops for women on the occasion of holy month of ‘Sawan’, as per the Hindu calendar, ahead of the year-end assembly elections in the state.
The sops announced by him included hike in the monthly incentive given to the beneficiaries under ‘Ladli Bahna’ scheme from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,250, provision of LPG cylinder at subsidised price of Rs 450 to women for the month of ‘Sawan’ (all known as ‘Shravan’), and increase in quota for women in government jobs from 30 percent to 35 percent.
“I have decided to hike the monthly incentive given under the Ladli Bahna scheme by Rs 250 from this month. The hiked incentive is transferred to the bank accounts of all the women beneficiaries under the scheme.
This is a gift from your brother (meaning him) to the sisters on the occasion of Rakhya Bandhan (falling on August 29)”, he said while addressing a gathering of the beneficiaries of the Ladli Bahna scheme here.
Mr Chouhan said that the incentive would further be increased to Rs 3,000 in a phased manner.
The chief minister announced that the government would provide LPG cylinders at a subsidised price of Rs 450 to women during the holy month of Sawan. Later, a permanent system will be evolved in this regard.
The month of ‘Sawan’ started on July four and will end on August 31.
BJP has focused on women voters in Madhya Pradesh, who comprise 48.20 percent of the state’s 5.39 crore electorates, ahead of the year-end assembly polls.
According to official data, 7.07 lakh of the 13.39 lakh new voters in the state are women.
Around 1.25 crore women have been enrolled as beneficiaries under the Ladli Bahna scheme, considered as a game changer by BJP in the ensuing assembly elections in the state.
The scheme was launched on June 10 this year.
Mr Chouhan announced that the quota for women in government jobs would be increased from 30 percent to 35 percent and for teachers’ jobs to 50 percent.
