In an event replete with pomp and glamour and attended by thousands of women, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan transferred the first instalment of the state government’s ambitious Mukhya Mantri Ladli Behna Yojana in Jabalpur on June 10. Married women – including widows, divorcees, separated women and single mothers – will get Rs 1,000 per month. While releasing the amount, Chouhan said this was just the beginning. This amount would be increased to Rs 3,000 per month in due course of time. He also announced the setting up of Ladli Behna Sena which will ensure the implementation of the scheme throughout the state. Talking to Kumar Shakti Shekhar on the sidelines of the event, Chouhan, who is the longest-serving CM not just of Madhya Pradesh but also of the BJP, explained the need to launch the scheme. He denied that his government was facing any anti-incumbency sentiments. Excerpts.
How many women will be transferred the amount in the first instalment?
