‘Lakhpati Didi’ promise falls flat:Wages remain unpaid in state, affecting thousands of self-help group members

“I stitched around 800–900 uniforms for four schools. It has been two years, but I still haven’t received full payment. The government talks about making us ‘Lakhpati Didis’, but how is that possible if we don’t even get paid for our work?” This reflects the plight of Sangita Nagvanshi, a resident of Handia in Harda district. She is associated with the ‘Jai Maa Kali’ self-help group, which was assigned school uniform stitching work during 2023–24. Despite completing the work on time, nearly ₹50,000 of her payment remains pending even after two years. ₹36.56 crore pending across 46 districts Sangita’s case is not an isolated one. Across 46 districts in Madhya Pradesh, thousands of women associated with self-help groups are awaiting payments worth approximately ₹36.56 crore. This comes at a time when the government is promoting initiatives to make women financially independent under the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme. According to official data, over 22 lakh women in the state have already been declared ‘Lakhpati Didis’, placing Madhya Pradesh fifth in the country. How the scheme worked—and where it stalled Under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), self-help groups were assigned the task of stitching school uniforms in 2022–23 and 2023–24. Each group typically handled uniforms for 3–4 schools. Payments were to be made based on the number of uniforms stitched. While initial payments were released in two instalments, the third instalment—around 25% of the total amount—remains unpaid even after three years. District-wise backlog highlights Meanwhile, full payments have reportedly been made in districts such as Anuppur, Bhind, Indore, Khargone, Neemuch, and Sheopur. Ground reality: Women struggling to survive 1. Debt Burden from Fabric Purchases Khatija Begum from Handia purchased fabric on credit to complete the work. With payments still pending, she faces constant pressure from traders demanding repayment. “We haven’t received our dues, so how can we pay them? We are not in a position to pay from our own pockets,” she says. Her group is still awaiting about ₹55,000. 2. Internal conflicts and Financial stress Razia Bi, who leads the Radhe-Radhe group, completed stitching nearly 1,000 uniforms. Around ₹90,000 remains unpaid. “Our members are extremely poor and depend on daily wages. When they ask for their share and we cannot pay, tensions rise. Some even accuse me of misappropriating funds,” she explains. 3. Turning to odd jobs for survival With no new work orders this year, many women have been left unemployed. Sangita now sells coconuts and chironji near the Narmada river and makes papad and wicks to sustain her family. “We are doing whatever small work we can just to survive,” she says. Issue raised in assembly, no clear timeline yet The matter was raised during the state Assembly’s budget session by BJP MLA Riti Pathak from Sidhi. She questioned Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Prahlad Patel regarding the pending payments. However, no clear timeline was provided for when the dues would be cleared. Verification process delaying payments further Officials from the National Rural Livelihood Mission stated that irregularities were found in initial payments, prompting a statewide verification of self-help groups at the district level. Payments will only resume after this verification is completed—a process expected to take an additional 3–4 months. A growing gap between promise and reality While policy narratives focus on empowering women and turning them into ‘Lakhpati Didis’, the ground reality presents a stark contrast—thousands are still waiting for wages earned through hard labour, struggling to make ends meet.