CM Mohan Yadav transfers ₹2,148 cr to 1.25 cr women under Ladli Behna
Synopsis
Madhya Pradesh CM Dr. Mohan Yadav disbursed the 39th instalment of Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana from Maihar on 19 August 2026, transferring over ₹2,148 crore to more than 1.25 crore women — each receiving ₹1,750, including a ₹250 Rakshabandhan bonus.
Key Takeaways
Mohan Yadav disbursed the 39th instalment of Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana on 19 August 2026 from Maihar, Madhya Pradesh .
Over 1.25 crore women beneficiaries received funds directly in their bank accounts.
Total transfer exceeded ₹2,148 crore in a single disbursement.
Each beneficiary received ₹1,750 this month — the standard ₹1,500 plus a ₹250 Rakshabandhan 'shagun' .
The scheme was launched in 2023 by former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan at ₹1,000/month and has since been raised to ₹1,500/month.
The Maihar launch venue — home to the Maa Sharda Devi temple — was chosen to align the disbursement with the Rakshabandhan festival spirit.
From the sacred precincts of Maihar — the pilgrim town of Maa Sharda Devi — Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, disbursed the 39th instalment of the Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana, channelling more than ₹2,148 crore directly into the accounts of over 1.25 crore women across the state — and added a Rakshabandhan bonus on top.
A festival gift wired to 1.25 crore accounts
Each beneficiary received ₹1,750 this month: the standard ₹1,500 monthly transfer plus a ₹250 'shagun' — a token of goodwill timed to Rakshabandhan. The Chief Minister described the bonus as 'rakshabandhan ke sneh swaroop' (a gesture of Rakshabandhan's affection), framing the state's welfare machinery as a brother's pledge to his sisters. The choice of Maihar — a town whose identity is inseparable from its goddess temple — as the launch venue was deliberate: it wrapped a direct-benefit transfer in the language of devotion and kinship.
From ₹1,000 to ₹1,750: how the scheme evolved
The Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana was launched in 2023 by then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with a monthly payout of ₹1,000. The amount was subsequently raised to ₹1,500, and this instalment marks the first time a festival supplement has pushed the monthly figure to ₹1,750. Thirty-nine consecutive monthly disbursements signal that the scheme has moved well past the pilot phase and into the rhythm of household budgeting for millions of Madhya Pradesh families.
DBT as BJP's signature welfare playbook in MP
Madhya Pradesh has made direct cash transfers to women a centrepiece of its welfare strategy across successive BJP governments. The Ladli Behna model — a fixed monthly credit, expanded eligibility, and festival top-ups — mirrors a pattern seen in other states, but MP's scale of over 1.25 crore active beneficiaries and a cumulative outlay running into thousands of crores makes it one of the largest state-level women's DBT programmes in India. Festival-linked bonuses in particular have become a recurring device to keep engagement high and reinforce the political covenant between the government and its beneficiaries.
With state budget cycles and assembly politics both keeping a close eye on the scheme's trajectory, any revision to the monthly amount or eligibility criteria in the months ahead will be watched carefully — by households that have already built the transfer into their monthly arithmetic.
Point of View
In a symbolically charged location, designed to reinforce the government's bond with women voters. The addition of a ₹250 Rakshabandhan bonus — modest in absolute terms — carries outsized political signalling, framing the state as a protective elder brother. With 39 unbroken monthly instalments, the scheme has crossed the threshold from policy promise to lived expectation, making any future reduction politically costly. The broader pattern points to direct cash transfers becoming the dominant idiom of state-level welfare competition across India.
NationPress
19 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana?
Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana is a Madhya Pradesh government scheme that provides monthly direct cash transfers to eligible women in the state. It was launched in 2023 with ₹1,000 per month and the amount has since been raised to ₹1,500 per month.
How much money did women receive under Ladli Behna in August 2026?
In August 2026, each Ladli Behna beneficiary received ₹1,750 — the regular monthly amount of ₹1,500 plus a special ₹250 Rakshabandhan bonus ('shagun') announced by CM Dr. Mohan Yadav.
Which instalment of Ladli Behna Yojana was released in August 2026?
The 39th instalment of Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana was released on 19 August 2026, with a total disbursement of over ₹2,148 crore.
How many women benefit from Ladli Behna Yojana in Madhya Pradesh?
Over 1.25 crore (12.5 million) women in Madhya Pradesh are enrolled as beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana.
Why was the Ladli Behna instalment released from Maihar?
CM Dr. Mohan Yadav chose Maihar — a pilgrimage town in Madhya Pradesh renowned for the Maa Sharda Devi temple — as the venue for the August 2026 disbursement, aligning the welfare event with the Rakshabandhan festival and its themes of familial devotion.
