Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday asserted that the comprehensive development of Madhya Pradesh is impossible without the holistic progress of daughters and sisters. He made the remark while addressing a grand Women’s Empowerment Conference in Ashta, where he directly transferred the 35th instalment of the ambitious Ladli Behna Yojana.
“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a historic initiative is set to unfold this month. For the first time since Independence, a special three-day Parliament session beginning April 16 will ensure 33 per cent reservation for women in both Lok Sabha and State Assemblies,” Yadav announced.
Highlighting the state government’s commitment, he added, “To make women self-reliant, we have already disbursed more than Rs 55,000 crore through Ladli Behna Yojana. Today, from the sacred land of Ashta, Rs 1,836 crore has been transferred straight into the bank accounts of 1.25 crore Ladli Behnas with a single click.
The festival of Raksha Bandhan is now being celebrated every month in Madhya Pradesh.” The Chief Minister described Ashta as a ‘Triveni Sangam’ of development, education, and women’s empowerment. He announced several new initiatives for girl students, including the construction of a new building for the Girls’ Higher Secondary School, along with hostel facilities for both college and school girls.
Yadav also inaugurated the magnificent new Sandipani School buildings in Ashta and Jawar. The Ashta campus, built at a cost of Rs 61 crore over 15 acres, currently educates around 3,800 students from KG-1 to Class 12 with streams in arts, science, commerce, and agriculture. The Jawar school has been constructed at Rs 39.45 crore.
Both schools feature modern libraries, computer labs, sports grounds, botanical gardens, rainwater harvesting systems, and sewage treatment plants. Free bus services bring students from nearly 100 surrounding villages. The Chief Minister further announced the establishment of a new ITI in Ashta, the construction of girls’ hostels, urban beautification works in Jawar, district-level SC hostels, a new building for Girls’ Higher Secondary School, the introduction of Science stream at Jawar College, Guradiya Khurd Barrage, a new barrage on Dudhi River, canal construction, and a Geeta Bhawan.
He proudly mentioned that Madhya Pradesh now has over 12 lakh ‘Lakhpati Didis’ and more than 6.5 million women associated with over 5 lakh Self-help groups. Under the Mukhyamantri Kanyadan Yojana, the government provides Rs 55,000 for the marriage of daughters from economically weaker families.
The state is also distributing 4 lakh bicycles, laptops to meritorious students, and scooters to school toppers. On this occasion, Yadav performed Bhoomi Pujan and inaugurated development projects worth Rs 184 crore, including roads, community halls, police housing, drinking water schemes under Amrut 2.0, and beautification works. The grand event was marked by the massive participation of Ladli Behnas, who expressed joy and gratitude for the government’s continued support.