Mohan Yadav’s “Ladli Behna costly” remark sparks political debate in Madhya Pradesh

A remark by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav about the Ladli Behna scheme has triggered a fresh political debate in the state. The comment, made in connection with the scheme’s large financial burden, has also raised questions about whether the government could change the amount or scope of the programme in the future.

Speaking at the Bundeli Samagam held at Ravindra Bhavan in Bhopal on Sunday, the Chief Minister responded to a question from a Bundeli content creator. Smiling, he said, “लाड़ली बहना ही बहुत महंगी पड़ गई। मुझे क्या पता था कि मुख्यमंत्री बनते ही इतनी भारी मार पड़ती है।”

The comment was made in a light-hearted manner, but it has acquired political and economic significance because of the substantial expenditure involved in the scheme. The phrase ‘लाड़ली बहना महंगी पड़ गई’ has since become the focus of discussion in Madhya Pradesh politics.

The immediate question raised by the remark was whether the government was preparing to reduce the amount being paid under the Ladli Behna scheme or limit its coverage. However, the available government documents do not indicate that the scheme is about to be discontinued.

In the 2026-27 budget, the government has made a provision of ₹23,883 crore for the scheme. In addition, the government has recently approved ₹1,14,365 crore for the continued operation of the scheme from 2026-27 to 2030-31.

This means that no official decision to end the Ladli Behna scheme has come to light so far. On the contrary, the government’s approval for its continued operation shows that preparations are in place to keep the scheme running in the coming years.

The financial figures explain why the programme has become a major issue. The Ladli Behna scheme was launched in 2023 with monthly assistance of ₹1,000. The amount was later increased to ₹1,250 and has now been raised to ₹1,500 per month.

At present, around 1.25 crore women are covered under the scheme. The official portal lists 1,25,22,542 eligible applicants.

If around 1.25 crore women receive ₹1,500 every month, the monthly payment alone comes to approximately ₹1,875 crore. On an annual basis, this works out to around ₹22,500 crore. Administrative and other related expenses are separate.

This makes Ladli Behna one of the largest cash-transfer programmes in the state. The provision of ₹23,883 crore for the scheme in the 2026-27 budget reflects the scale of the financial burden involved.

The wider budget figures also offer context to the Chief Minister’s reference to a “heavy blow”. Madhya Pradesh’s total budget for 2026-27 is around ₹4.23 lakh crore. The ₹23,883 crore provision for Ladli Behna therefore accounts for a substantial share of the state’s total budgetary expenditure.

At the same time, the state also has continuing committed liabilities such as salaries, pensions and interest payments. The combined committed expenditure under these three heads is estimated to be around ₹1.38 lakh crore in 2026-27.

Against this background, the Chief Minister’s remark about the “heavy blow” can be viewed as an acknowledgement of the financial pressure on the government, rather than an announcement that the Ladli Behna scheme is being shut down.

There has also been continued discussion about increasing the monthly amount for Ladli Behna beneficiaries to ₹3,000. The demand and political promises related to a payment of ₹3,000 per month have been under discussion for a long time.

However, there has been no new official announcement at the government level to increase the amount to ₹3,000 per month. The current payment remains ₹1,500 per month, and the Chief Minister also referred to this amount at the Bundeli Samagam.

It is therefore important to keep two issues separate. There is no official indication at present that the scheme is being discontinued. At the same time, there has been no new government announcement to increase the monthly payment to ₹3,000.

The Chief Minister himself also indicated that the scheme would continue. Immediately after making his remark at the Bundeli Samagam, he said that women would not face any difficulty from the government. He explained that the scheme had started with a payment of ₹1,000 and that women are now receiving ₹1,500 every month.

For now, the statement that Ladli Behna has become expensive does not signal any government preparation to end the scheme. The central issue is the programme’s growing financial size. With around 1.25 crore women receiving ₹1,500 every month, the government is spending thousands of crores of rupees annually on the scheme. This financial burden is the key fact behind the Chief Minister’s light-hearted remark.