For some women in Chhattisgarh, the monthly assistance under the Mahtari Vandan Yojana is helping them do more than meet everyday household expenses. They are setting aside a part of the amount for crediting in Sukanya Samriddhi accounts for their daughters’ education and future needs.
For Pramila Potami, a resident of Bodri village, saving for her daughter’s education once seemed out of reach. The monthly assistance has enabled her to begin saving. “Our income is not such that we can save anything. The aid is a big support and the savings in the Sukanya account will help pay for my daughter’s education.”
Dantewada, in South Bastar, has historically been among the regions worst affected by Naxal violence. Potami’s decision to save for her daughter’s education offers a glimpse into the aspirations of a woman even from this interior region. Her experience is just one example of how some beneficiaries are choosing to use part of their monthly assistance to prepare for their daughters’ future.
In Raweli village of Raipur district, Meena Nishad too had opened a Sukanya Samriddhi account for her daughter, Mahima, after receiving the assistance. “I get Rs 1,000 every month under the Mahtari Vandan Yojana and I deposit this amount in my daughter Mahima’s Sukanya Samriddhi account. I want these savings to eventually help pay for my daughter’s further studies and future needs,” she said.
For some families, saving requires balancing several immediate demands. In Parri village of Surajpur development block, Anju Kushwaha deposits part of her monthly assistance into her daughter’s Sukanya Samriddhi account and uses the remainder for household expenses.
Deepali Markam, from Baghmara village in Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district, divides the money between her children’s school requirements and savings for her daughter.
Under the Mahtari Vandan Yojana, the Chhattisgarh Government provides eligible women with financial assistance of Rs 1,000 a month. Launched on March 10, 2024, the scheme now covers about 68 lakh women. Its 32nd instalment, released by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on October 8, took cumulative disbursements to over Rs 20,708.11 crore.