‘Ladli Behnas’ Wait for Gas Subsidies in Madhya Pradesh

New Delhi: Two months before Madhya Pradesh voted, former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had promised at an event in Tikamgarh that the women of the state — he called them “ladli behna” after the scheme by that name — will get cooking gas cylinders for Rs. 450. There were conditions and eligibility criteria, of course, but the announcement was a big relief for households, especially those with many members. The announcement was also a political move by the BJP veteran, coming right after the Congress’s promise to give out cooking gas cylinders for Rs. 500 if it came to power. A month later, women in the state had reason to cheer. They bought a cooking gas cylinder for Rs. 910 and received Rs. 460 in their bank accounts soon after as subsidy. This meant they paid Rs. 450 for the cylinder, in line with the then Chief Minister’s promise. Cut to the last week of 2023. The BJP has returned to power, but Mr Chouhan is not on the hot seat anymore. Mohan Yadav is the new Chief Minister as the BJP veteran waits for a new task. He is not alone. His “ladli behnas” are also waiting, for their subsidies. More than 32 lakh women in Madhya Pradesh are registered for the cooking gas subsidy. One of them is Shashi Gawde from Bhopal’s Bhimnagar neighbourhood. A beneficiary of the popular Ladli Behna scheme, she gets Rs. 1,250 in her bank account every month. The cooking gas subsidy, however, has stopped coming, she told reporter. “After Shivraj’s announcement, we got the cylinder for Rs. 910 and a subsidy of Rs. 460 came into my account. But we did not receive it after that one time,” she said. Asked how long a cooking gas cylinder lasts for her family, she said there are many members and the cylinder runs out within a month. Not getting the subsidy is a “lot of trouble”, she said. Poonam, a labourer, is worried too. “We are not getting anything now. Maybe they pay later,” she said. “Sometimes we don’t have money to get a cylinder. We manage by borrowing money. All we earn is spent on our children’s education. It’s difficult to buy a cylinder for Rs. 910.” Providing cooking gas cylinders for Rs. 450 to beneficiaries of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government’s Ujjwala Yojana and Laadli Behna scheme was part of the BJP’s list of promises ahead of the polls. When Krishna Gaur, a minister in the new government, was asked about the pause in subsidies, she said, “The Chief Minister has already made it clear that our

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