Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Friday, June 5, 2026, announced that the 28th instalment of the Mahatari Vandan Yojana has been disbursed, transferring Rs 642.27 crore directly into the accounts of 68.54 lakh women beneficiaries across the state.

Context

Chief Minister Sai made the announcement via a post on X, stating in Hindi: 'Mahatari Vandan Yojana ki 28vi kist ke saath pradesh ki 68.54 lakh matrashaktiyon ke khaton mein 642.27 crore rupaye ki rashi seedhe antairit ki gayi' — ['With the 28th instalment of Mahatari Vandan Yojana, Rs 642.27 crore has been directly transferred into the accounts of 68.54 lakh maternal forces of the state']. He described the disbursement as not merely financial assistance but a 'continuous resolve to empower the dignity, confidence, and self-reliance of mothers and sisters.'

The transfer underscores the BJP-led Chhattisgarh government's continued push on direct benefit transfers as a cornerstone of its women-welfare agenda since coming to power in December 2023.

Policy Backdrop

The Mahatari Vandan Yojana was launched by the Sai government as one of its flagship commitments following the BJP's victory in the 2023 Chhattisgarh assembly elections. The scheme provides monthly cash transfers to eligible women, leveraging the national Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile infrastructure to ensure direct, leakage-free delivery to beneficiaries.

The programme follows a broader national pattern of state-level recurring cash-transfer schemes for women that gained momentum from 2022–23 onwards. Madhya Pradesh's Ladli Behna Yojana is among the most cited precedents, with similar initiatives rolled out across several states to promote financial inclusion and household economic resilience.

Stakeholders and Impact

The scheme's beneficiaries — 68.54 lakh women spread across Chhattisgarh's urban and rural districts — receive the funds directly in their bank accounts, reducing dependence on intermediaries. Chief Minister Sai reiterated the government's commitment to making 'every sister economically strong, self-reliant, and an active participant in Chhattisgarh's development journey.'

Analysts note that recurring cash transfers of this scale can meaningfully supplement household incomes in a state where a significant share of the female population is engaged in agriculture and informal labour. The Rs 642.27 crore outflow in a single instalment reflects the programme's substantial fiscal footprint in the state budget.

What's Next

With 28 consecutive instalments now disbursed, attention will turn to whether the state government releases any official evaluation of the scheme's impact on household consumption, women's workforce participation, or financial inclusion metrics. The regularity of disbursements has become a political marker for the administration, and subsequent instalments will be closely watched as the government approaches mid-term. Any revision in the per-beneficiary amount or expansion of eligibility criteria would signal the next phase of the programme's evolution.