Mahtari Vandan Scheme: Exclusion of about 5 lakh women from Chhattisgarh’s Mahtari Vandan Scheme controversial, delay in e-KYC and data verification, opposition accused the government of betrayal.
Mahtari Vandan Scheme Controversy: Chhattisgarh’s women-centric scheme, Mahtari Vandan Yojana, was promoted with great enthusiasm and fanfare when it was launched. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched this scheme from Raipur in 2024. Under this scheme, women aged 21 years and above get Rs 1,000 every month.
How many women were getting the benefit of Mahtari Vandan Yojana earlier?
More than 70 lakh women initially benefited and it was seen as a major initiative for women empowerment in the state. But recently, government data revealed that only 64.94 lakh women received this amount during the 20th installment. That means about five lakh women were kept out of the scheme. This sudden decline has caught the attention of opposition parties including Congress who have questioned it, accusing the government of betrayal of women voters.
Women raised questions
Many beneficiaries have also confirmed this. Sangeeta Dubey of Raipur said that earlier money used to come on time every month, but this time nothing was received. Women like Renu Kumari of Dhamtari and Momina Khatoon of Bilaspur said that their payments have been delayed for months. This raises the question why such a large number of women went missing in this scheme.
What does the government say?
Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Rajwade said this is the result of verification and data correction. He informed that around 64,858 women are no more, 707 opted out voluntarily and 40,728 duplicate entries were removed. Bank e-KYC of about 4 lakh women is pending, after completion of which payment will resume. Rajwade also clarified that there is no cut in the budget or objective of the scheme and the portal will reopen soon to include new beneficiaries.
Is this really validation or exclusion against women?
Critics say the “verification process” touted by the government is actually penalizing beneficiaries. For women like Sangeeta and Momina, the problem is not politics but loss of trust. If at the time of elections money could be sent directly to the accounts, then why not today, this question is in the mind of every beneficiary.
After all, where have five lakh women gone?
Where have five lakh women of Chhattisgarh gone from the list of Mahtari Vandan Yojana? Is the government really ensuring transparency or is it a political boycott? This unanswered question remains in the minds of millions of women during the festive season.