Ladli Behna Yojana: monthly cash for women in Madhya Pradesh, the old way and the new way (2026)

Think about a homemaker in a small Madhya Pradesh town a few years ago. She ran the house, raised the children, and stitched clothes for neighbours, but almost no money passed through her own hands. For every small need, a bus fare, a school notebook, her own medicine, she had to ask a husband or a son and wait. Any support the state offered reached the family through the male head of the household, so a woman rarely had rupees of her own that she decided how to spend. That was the old way.

The new way is simple. Under Ladli Behna Yojana, the Government of Madhya Pradesh sends a fixed monthly amount straight to the woman's own bank account by direct benefit transfer. No male signature stands in the middle. She gets an SMS, the money is hers, and she decides where it goes. That single shift, from money reaching the family to money reaching the woman, is the whole idea of this scheme, and it is the first thing to understand before the rules.

The table looks small, but for a woman with no salary of her own the difference is real. A guaranteed amount in her own name, every month, changes how she plans for food, school fees and small emergencies. For related government cash support schemes in other states, see Ladki Bahin Yojana (Maharashtra), Lakshmir Bhandar (West Bengal), and Gruha Lakshmi (Karnataka).

The benefit is paid in cash to the woman's Aadhaar linked bank account, once a month.

• The scheme began at Rs 1,000 a month in 2023 when the first installment went out in June 2023.
• The amount was then raised to Rs 1,250 a month.
• By 2026 the regular installment shown on the official portal is Rs 1,500 a month. Government transfer figures for a normal month in early 2026 are consistent with a Rs 1,500 base for most beneficiaries. For context, the 34th installment in March 2026 reportedly transferred approximately Rs 1,836 crore to about 1.25 crore women.
• The state government has spoken of raising the amount in stages toward Rs 3,000 a month. Treat that higher figure as a stated goal for later years, not as the amount being paid today.

Because the exact figure has changed more than once and can change again, always confirm the amount credited to you against the official portal and your own bank passbook rather than an old post or a forwarded message.

Ladli Behna Yojana is meant for women in lower income households in Madhya Pradesh. The core conditions are these.

• A resident of Madhya Pradesh. Domicile or residence proof is required at the time of application.
• A woman aged 21 to 60 years. The first enrolment round in 2023 started at age 23, and the age floor was later lowered to 21.
• Married, widowed, divorced or abandoned. The scheme is aimed at these categories rather than at unmarried women.
• Combined family income up to Rs 2.5 lakh a year.
• An Aadhaar linked bank account with DBT switched on, so the money can be credited to the woman herself. If you need help with Aadhaar linking, see our Aadhaar update status guide or Aadhaar services overview.

Some families are outside the scheme even when a woman meets the age and residence rules. The common exclusions are as follows.

• Any family member is an income tax payer.
• Any family member is a regular or permanent government employee or a government pensioner.
• The family owns a four wheeler. A tractor is treated separately and does not by itself exclude the family.
• A member is a current or former MP or MLA, or holds office in a government body or undertaking.

If your household falls into one of these groups, an application is likely to be rejected at verification, so it helps to check these points before you spend time applying. For a comparison with other state women's cash schemes and their exclusion rules, see Kalaignar Magalir (Tamil Nadu) or browse the full Sarkari Yojana index.

Once you are an approved beneficiary, you can check whether a particular installment has been credited. There are three main ways.

1. Official portal: Visit cmladlibahna.mp.gov.in and use the beneficiary status / payment status lookup. You will need your Samagra ID, Aadhaar number, or mobile number registered with the scheme.
2. Bank passbook or SMS alert: The DBT credit appears in your passbook as a transfer from the state government, and an SMS is sent to your registered mobile when the money lands.
3. UMANG or state app: If the scheme is available on the MyScheme portal or UMANG app, you can check status there as well.

If the portal shows your name but no credit has arrived for one or more months, the most common cause is a bank account that is not properly Aadhaar-linked with DBT enabled. See our AEPS guide for how Aadhaar-linked banking works, or visit a bank branch to confirm DBT status. For general help with banking complaints, see our bank account problem guide.

When a registration round is open, the process is short.

1. Confirm a round is open. Check cmladlibahna.mp.gov.in or ask the helpline whether enrolment is on and where the nearest camp is.
2. Reach the camp or CSC with your documents. Applications are taken at the notified camp or Common Service Centre, and staff there fill the online form for you.
3. Give a self declaration of income and family details. You declare that the family income is within the limit and that no exclusion applies to your household.
4. Let the block office verify. Officials check your details against records. Approved applicants are informed, and the timeline is usually around 30 days.
5. Receive the monthly DBT. Once approved, the fixed amount is credited to your account each month. Keep an eye on your passbook and the SMS alerts.

There is no fee to apply. If anyone asks for money to register you or to keep your name on the list, that is a warning sign, because enrolment itself carries no charge.

If you do not yet have an Aadhaar card or need to update it, see how to apply for an Aadhaar PVC card or the full Aadhaar services guide. If you need a ration card or BPL card for income proof, see our BPL ration card application guide.

This is the question most readers have, so it deserves a plain answer. The large public enrolment rounds that ran when the scheme first started are closed. There is no permanent open window where anyone can walk in and register at any time.

What the state does instead is open periodic registration camps, usually at the gram panchayat or ward level, so that women who have newly turned 21 or newly become eligible can be added. When such a round is announced, you register at the notified camp or a Common Service Centre, not by turning up at a district office on a random day. Before you plan anything, confirm the current status and the next camp dates on the official portal or the helpline, because these windows open and close on the government's own calendar.

• Family income shown above Rs 2.5 lakh. If any record puts the household over the limit, the application is refused. Make sure the income declared and recorded is correct and matches your papers.
• A four wheeler in the family. Ownership of a four wheeler disqualifies the household. A tractor is treated on its own footing and does not by itself remove eligibility.
• Bank account not linked to Aadhaar or DBT not enabled. This is the top reason a credit bounces even after approval. Visit the bank and get the account Aadhaar seeded with DBT switched on. See our Aadhaar update guide for steps.
• Name dropped from the list. The number of beneficiaries has fallen over time as women cross 60 and no fresh general enrolment runs. If your name has gone, check the portal for the reason and whether a correction or a new camp applies to you.
• Approved but no money. If verification is done and months pass without a credit, that is the point where the grievance and RTI routes below are meant to be used.
• Mobile number not updated. If you have changed your number, the portal may not send you SMS alerts. Update your registered mobile at the camp or CSC.
• Samagra ID mismatch. If your Samagra ID details do not match your Aadhaar, verification can stall. Correct the mismatch at a CSC before reapplying.

Several Indian states now run monthly cash schemes for women. Here is how Ladli Behna MP compares with the major ones.

Each scheme has its own exclusion rules, but the pattern is similar: government employees, income-tax payers, and families owning four wheelers are typically excluded. For the full list, see all Sarkari Yojanas on RTI Wiki.

When the portal and the helpline lead nowhere, a written Right to Information request often moves a stuck file, because the public authority then has to act or explain in writing. Ask narrow, factual questions about the status of your application, the officer handling it, and the reason for any delay. For scheme-specific RTI guidance, see our guide on RTI for government scheme delays or RTI for money and schemes.

You can draft an RTI in minutes using these tools:

• Draft it in minutes: AI RTI Drafter
• Full filing and appeal process: The RTI Playbook
• File in Madhya Pradesh: How to file an RTI in Madhya Pradesh
• RTI fees by state: RTI fees across Indian states
• First appeal guide: How to file a first appeal under RTI
• General filing guide: How to file an RTI in India

Ladli Behna Yojana was launched in 2023 by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, run through the Department of Women and Child Development, to put a fixed monthly income in the hands of women in lower income households. The first installment of Rs 1,000 was paid in June 2023. The scheme has since been raised to Rs 1,250 and then to Rs 1,500. It is a state scheme, funded and managed by Madhya Pradesh, and it sits alongside similar direct cash schemes for women in other states listed in the Sarkari Yojana index.

The scheme's design draws on the principle of direct benefit transfer (DBT) to the woman's own account, an approach also used in central schemes like PM Kisan Samman Nidhi for farmers and PM Matru Vandana Yojana for new mothers.

If you receive Ladli Behna, you or your family members may also be eligible for these schemes:

• PM Jan Dhan Yojana — zero-balance bank account with RuPay card
• PM Ujjwala Yojana — free LPG cooking gas connection
• Ayushman Bharat PMJAY — Rs 5 lakh health insurance cover
• Ration Card (NFSA) — subsidised food grains
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana — savings scheme for a girl child
• Mahila Samman Savings Certificate — one-time savings instrument for women
• Atal Pension Yojana — guaranteed pension after age 60
• Mudra Yojana — micro loans for small business
• PM SVANidhi — collateral-free loan for street vendors
• Jal Jeevan Mission — tap water connection to every rural household
• PM Surya Ghar — rooftop solar with subsidy

Picture a woman of about 40 in a district town, married, with a family income under the limit and no four wheeler and no government job in the house. In the old way she had no independent money at all, and any state help reached her husband, so she asked for every rupee she spent on herself or the children. In the new way she has her own account that receives the monthly Ladli Behna amount, she checks the SMS the day it lands, and she keeps a little aside for her daughter's fees without asking anyone. When one month the money did not come even though she was approved, she did not simply wait. She used the routes below, and the credit followed. That is the change this scheme is built to create, from waiting quietly to being able to ask in writing.

The regular monthly amount shown on the official portal in 2026 is Rs 1,500. The scheme started at Rs 1,000 and was raised to Rs 1,250 before this. Confirm the exact figure credited to you on the official portal and your passbook.

The state government has spoken of raising the amount in stages toward Rs 3,000. Treat that as a stated goal for the future, not the sum being paid today. Check the latest official notice before you count on it.

General enrolment is closed. The state opens periodic camps for women who have newly turned 21 or newly become eligible. Check the official portal or helpline for the next camp date in your area.

Yes, if the combined family income is within Rs 2.5 lakh a year and no exclusion applies, such as an income tax payer, a government employee or a four wheeler in the household.

First check that your bank account is Aadhaar linked with DBT enabled, since that is the most common cause. If you are approved and the credit still does not come, raise a grievance on the portal and, if needed, file an RTI using the AI RTI Drafter.

No. A four wheeler disqualifies the household, but a tractor is treated separately and does not by itself remove eligibility.

No. The scheme is aimed at married, widowed, divorced, or abandoned women. Unmarried women are not in the target group.

The upper age limit is 60 years at the time of enrolment. Women who cross 60 after enrolment should check with the portal whether they continue to receive benefits.

No. Enrolment is free of charge. If anyone demands money to register you or to keep your name on the list, treat it as a warning sign of fraud.

Visit the nearest camp or Common Service Centre with your Aadhaar and request a mobile number update. This ensures you continue receiving SMS alerts when each installment is credited.

Check the portal for the reason (common causes: income exceeded the limit, a family member became a government employee, or a four wheeler was purchased). If the removal is in error, raise a grievance on the portal. If the grievance is not resolved, file an RTI as described above.

Yes. Call the helpline number listed on the official portal with your Samagra ID or Aadhaar number, or visit a Common Service Centre where staff can check it for you.

• Ladki Bahin Yojana for women in Maharashtra
• Lakshmir Bhandar cash support in West Bengal
• Gruha Lakshmi payment for women in Karnataka
• Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai in Tamil Nadu
• Mahila Samman Savings Certificate
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana for a girl child
• PM Matru Vandana Yojana for new mothers
• All Sarkari Yojanas

• Official portal, Ladli Behna Yojana: cmladlibahna.mp.gov.in
• Government of Madhya Pradesh: mp.gov.in
• Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh
• Press Information Bureau (PIB): pib.gov.in
• MyScheme National Scheme Portal: myscheme.gov.in
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment: socialjustice.gov.in
• Reported Rs 1,836 crore transferred to about 1.25 crore women in the 34th installment, March 2026, Dainik Jagran and other outlets, consistent with a Rs 1,500 monthly base
• Scheme launched 2023, first installment of Rs 1,000 paid June 2023, later raised to Rs 1,250 and then Rs 1,500

Last reviewed: 10 July 2026 by the RTI Wiki Editorial Team.