Mohan Yadav described Ladli Behna as costly while assuring continued support for women.
The scheme provides ₹1,500 monthly assistance to around 1.25 crore eligible women.
Madhya Pradesh allocated ₹23,883 crore for the scheme in its 2026–27 Budget.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has drawn attention to the cost of Ladli Behna, the BJP government’s flagship cash-transfer scheme for women, describing it as a “very costly affair”. His remarks come as the monthly assistance has reached ₹1,500, while the government’s earlier commitment to increase it to ₹3,000 remains unfulfilled.
Yadav was responding to Bundeli content creator Binnu Rani at a Bundeli Samagam at Ravindra Bhavan in Bhopal. She asked what the government planned to do for daughters after supporting their mothers through the scheme. The exchange was light-hearted, but Yadav’s answer highlighted the recurring financial commitment involved.
“You have no idea the Ladli Behna scheme turned out to be a very costly affair. Little did I know that becoming Chief Minister would bring such a heavy financial burden,” he said,
“But we said there is no trouble when it comes to our sisters. The journey began with Rs 1,000. There were significant difficulties in the beginning, but now we are providing up to Rs 1,500,” he added.
His remarks were accompanied by an assurance that support would continue.
How Much Does Ladli Behna Cost?
The state has allocated ₹23,883 crore for Ladli Behna in its 2026–27 Budget. This compares with an allocation of ₹18,669 crore in 2025–26, an increase of approximately 28%.
For September’s 40th instalment, the government announced a transfer of ₹1,835.09 crore to 1,25,10,150 eligible women.
Dainik Jagran reported that cumulative regular monthly transfers would reach ₹65,395.99 crore with September’s instalment. Separately, the Cabinet has approved ₹1,14,365 crore for continuing the scheme through 2030–31,
How Did The Scheme Begin?
The then Shivraj Singh Chouhan government announced Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana on January 28, 2023, ahead of that year’s Assembly election. It was formally launched on March 5, with the first payments released on June 10.
The initial assistance was ₹1,000 a month. It increased to ₹1,250 from October 2023 and ₹1,500 from November 2025, according to Dainik Jagran’s account of the payment history.
The initial 2023–24 Budget provision was ₹8,000 crore. Actual expenditure that financial year reached ₹14,734 crore. The initial allocation and actual spending therefore represent different measures of the scheme’s cost.
Who Is Eligible?
The official scheme rules cover Madhya Pradesh residents who are married, including widowed, divorced and deserted women. Applicants must have completed 21 years and be below 60, assessed on January 1 of the application year.
Major exclusions include family annual income above ₹2.5 lakh, an income-tax-paying family member, specified government employment or pension conditions, agricultural holdings exceeding five acres, and ownership of a four-wheel vehicle other than a tractor.
Payments are made into the beneficiary’s own Aadhaar-linked, DBT-enabled bank account.
What Happened To The ₹3,000 Promise?
The BJP’s commitment to progressively raise assistance to ₹3,000 has not yet been implemented in full. In June 2025, Yadav reiterated a target of reaching that amount over five years.
At ₹3,000, each beneficiary would receive ₹36,000 annually, compared with ₹18,000 at the current standard rate. For an illustrative beneficiary base of 1.25 crore women receiving the full payment, annual transfers would total ₹45,000 crore, before accounting for pension adjustments or changes in eligibility.
