Ladli Behna beneficiaries drop by 5.70 lakh:New names halted; ₹1,836 crore to be transferred today to 1.25 crore women beneficiary accounts

The number of beneficiaries under the Ladli Behna Yojana came down to approximately 1.25 crore in the last two-and-a-half years. More than 5.70 lakh women have been removed from the beneficiaries list, as no new names are being added to the scheme.
At present, the total number of eligible beneficiaries has come down to 1,25,31,000 women. On Saturday, Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav will transfer over Rs 1,836 crore into the bank accounts of eligible women at the rate of Rs 1,500 per beneficiary. The 32nd installment of the Ladli Behna Scheme will be transferred during a state-level event scheduled to be held at Makhan Nagar in Narmadapuram district. Beneficiary numbers declining year after year Over the last one year alone, the scheme has seen a reduction of more than one lakh beneficiaries. Since the government is not accepting new applications, names are continuously being removed based on age limits and eligibility conditions. As a result, the total number of beneficiaries has declined in 2023, 2024, and 2025, instead of increasing. When the scheme was first launched, it received 1 crore 31 lakh 35 thousand 985 applications. Following objections and scrutiny, 2 lakh 18 thousand 858 names were removed, bringing the count down to 1 crore 29 lakh 5 thousand 457. The number has now fallen further to just over 1.25 crore. Financial burden increased after hike in monthly aid Initially, beneficiaries received Rs 1,250 per month under the scheme. From November 2025, the amount was increased by Rs 250, raising the monthly assistance to Rs 1,500. This hike has added a financial burden of over Rs 300 crore per month on the state government. Until October 2025, around Rs 1,500 crore was being transferred monthly. By December 2025, this figure had crossed Rs 1,850 crore. Over ₹48,632 crore transferred so far According to official data, between June 2023 and December 2025, a total of Rs 48,632.70 crore has been transferred to beneficiaries under the scheme. After Yadav became Chief Minister, between January 2024 and December 2025, the government transferred Rs 38,635.89 crore into the accounts of Ladli Behna beneficiaries. How the Ladli Behna Scheme was conceived The idea of the Ladli Behna Scheme was first revealed by former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on March 4, 2023, during a public event in Bhopal. Recalling the moment, Chouhan had said that he stayed awake all night thinking about the scheme. At 4 am, he woke his wife and shared the idea with her, saying that if women consider him their brother, then it was his responsibility to support them. He stressed that annual financial aid was not enough, and that monthly assistance would help women solve daily problems and live with dignity. With this thought, the Ladli Behna Scheme was launched—described by him not just as a welfare scheme, but as a mass movement to secure women’s lives and dignity.