Unmarried women above 21 yrs of age included under MP’s Ladli Behna Scheme

Madhya Pradesh chief miner Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday announced that unmarried women above 21 years of age will be included under the Ladli Behna Yojana and will receive Rs.1,250 monthly aid, as per the scheme. MP chief miner Shivraj Singh Chouhan (File Photo) “Sers who are above 21 years of age and who are not married, such sers will also be eligible under the Ladli Behna Yojana,” Chouhan announced on Friday in Jabalpur during the Jan Ashirwad Yatra, a mass-contact rally organised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The CM added that under the scheme, which benefits around 1.32 crore women, will be gradually increased to Rs.3,000 per month. The MP government had raised the financial aid from Rs.1,000 to Rs.1,250 per month and also announced 35% reservation for them in government jobs. A sum of Rs.60,000 crore will be spent on this scheme in five years. Addressing the gathering, Chohan said that women empowerment has been a priority in the customs and policies of the BJP . “Many schemes like 50% reservation for sers and daughters in civic elections and 35% reservation in police recruitment, Chief Miner Ladli Behena are proof of this,” he said. HT had reported in April this year that rape survivors, sex workers and unmarried women are not eligible under the scheme, as writing the name of the husband is mandatory to get the benefit. Many organisations working for destitute women and sex workers have raised the matter. The tribal women of Bancchda and Bedia communities in Neemuch, Morena and Sagar had shown a will to start a fresh life with government help. The drict collectors have written to the state government in this regard. Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission president Manohar Mamtani had also written to the state government to include unmarried women belonging to Banchhada, Bedia and Sansi (a tribe declared as criminal and they don’t have documents, especially identity proof) communities in the scheme. “ Women and Child Development Department Principal Secretary Deepali Rastogi said, “The proposal of including unmarried women under the scheme was in discussion for a long time and finally it was announced.”