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‘Ladli Behna has turned out to be very expensive’: MP CM Mohan Yadav to 12-year-old Bundeli creator

The Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna scheme was announced on January 28, 2023, by the then Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.

Updated on: Oct 6, 2026, 07:03:20 IST
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“You don’t know, Ladli Behna has turned out to be very expensive. How would I know that becoming chief minister would hit me so hard?”

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav was speaking at the Bundeli Samagam held at Ravindra Bhawan in Bhopal on Sunday. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav was speaking at the Bundeli Samagam held at Ravindra Bhawan in Bhopal on Sunday. (ANI)

This is what Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav told a content creator at the Bundeli Samagam held at Ravindra Bhawan in Bhopal on Sunday, referring to the cost of the state’s flagship Ladli Behna scheme for women.

Bundeli content creator Binnu Rani from Chhatarpur asked Yadav, “You have done a lot for your jijjis (sisters), but what do you want to do for the binnus (daughters) of your sisters?”

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The 12-year-old was referring to various schemes for women in the state, including Ladli Behna. Responding in a light-hearted tone, Yadav said,

“Binnu, this is a very inside matter. How would I know that becoming chief minister would hit me so hard? But we said, there will be no trouble for our sisters. The journey started with ₹1,000.”

“There were a lot of difficulties in the beginning, but now we are giving up to ₹1,500, don’t worry. You are still too young for Ladli Behna. Grow up a little more, then we will give it to you,” Yadav added.

Congress spokesperson questions scheme's expenses

Reacting to the remarks, Congress spokesperson KK Mishra said: “Does the BJP-led state government introduce schemes without analysing systemic challenges? Now the state government is unwilling to add new names to the beneficiary list, which shows they are running it half-heartedly.”

The Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna scheme was announced on January 28, 2023, by the then Shivraj Singh Chouhan government and formally launched on March 5, 2023.

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Initially, eligible women were given ₹1,000 per month, with the first instalment released in June 2023.

The amount has since increased to ₹1,500 per month. In the 40th instalment released in September 2026, the state government transferred ₹1,835.09 crore to the accounts of 12.5 million women.

  • Shruti Tomar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shruti Tomar

    I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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