Bhopal, Sep 9 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday transferred Rs 1,574 crore to the bank accounts of over 1.29 women beneficiaries of the 'Ladli Behna Yojana'.

Each beneficiary will receive Rs 1,250 as the 16th installment under the scheme that was introduced by the previous BJP government led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in March last year.

The amount was moved through a single click transfer facility at a public event at Bina in Sagar district.

'An amount of Rs 1,574 crores was transferred to the accounts of sisters as the 16th installment of Laadli Behna Yojana. On this occasion, Bhoomi Pujan and inauguration of 22 development works worth Rs 215.18 crore and distribution of benefits to the beneficiaries under various schemes were also done,' CM Yadav said in a post on X.

The state government used to release the amount to the beneficiaries' accounts on 10th day of every month. However, this time, it was released a day before. When it got delayed for one or two days (as happened in the past), the opposition Congress would remind the ruling BJP about the 10th day of the month.

The 'Ladli Behna Yojana' was initially launched by former CM Shivraj Chauhan months before the Assembly elections held in November last year. For the first few months, the state government used to give Rs 1,000 per month to the women beneficiaries, which was later increased to Rs 1,250 per month.

The scheme is an extension of Shivraj Chouhan's another flagship initiative, the 'Ladli Laxmi Yojana', for newborn girl children.

The BJP had announced the scheme at a time when it was facing high anti-incumbency against nearly two decades of its rule in Madhya Pradesh.

The results of the Assembly elections were out on December 4, which saw BJP retain power with absolute majority.

Political observers and even some Congress members had said the Ladli Behna Yojana proved a game-changer for the BJP.

/IANS