MP HC issues notice on plea against Ladli Behna scheme
The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Gwalior Bench has issued notices to the state government on a public interest litigation challenging the Chief Minister Ladli Behna Yojana and seeking a halt to the monthly cash assistance being provided to more than 1.25 crore women across the State.
A division Bench of Justices G.S. Ahluwalia and Anuradha Shukla heard the petition and issued notices to the state’s Chief Secretary and the principal secretaries of the Women and Child Development and Finance departments. The court has sought a response from the Government on the issues raised in the petition.
The petition has been filed by Sudha Dubey of Gwalior through advocate Anil Kumar Mishra. It questions the existing structure of the Ladli Behna scheme, the recurring expenditure involved and its impact on the State’s finances, while also seeking an assessment of whether the scheme has resulted in long-term economic empowerment of women.
The petitioner has sought scrapping of the scheme and interim relief against further cash payments to beneficiaries. However, the High Court has not ordered the scheme to be discontinued and has not stayed payment of the monthly assistance. The matter is currently at the notice stage and no final finding has been made on the validity of the scheme.
Dubey has argued that instead of providing direct monthly cash assistance, public funds should be used to create sustainable employment, skill-development, vocational training and self-employment opportunities for women. Her counsel contended that employment-linked measures could generate longer-term economic benefits and reduce dependence on recurring government assistance. These contentions are part of the petitioner’s case and the State Government is yet to file its detailed response.
The petition has also questioned the financial burden of the scheme. More than 1.25 crore women are currently covered under Ladli Behna, with eligible beneficiaries receiving Rs 1,500 per month. The state transferred the latest instalment in September 2026 to beneficiaries under the scheme.
At the current level of assistance, the petitioner has raised concerns over an expenditure running into more than Rs 22,500 crore annually. The Madhya Pradesh government has separately provided Rs 23,882 crore for the Ladli Behna Yojana in the 2026-27 Budget.
The petitioner has also questioned whether such large recurring expenditure has produced measurable improvements in women’s employment, skills and financial independence. Her side has further alleged that the timing and nature of direct cash transfers raise questions about their use as an electoral incentive. The allegation remains the petitioner’s contention and has not been accepted or adjudicated upon by the court.
During the hearing, the State raised a preliminary objection that the beneficiaries of the scheme had not been made parties to the litigation. The court observed that details of the beneficiaries were available with the government and directed the State to provide the relevant information to the petitioner so that necessary beneficiaries could be brought on record.
The bench also said that the entire burden of serving notices on such a large number of beneficiaries could not be placed on the petitioner.
The State has been directed to facilitate the process, including providing a Hindi translation of the petition for communication to beneficiaries.
The government’s preliminary objection was subsequently treated as withdrawn.
The case will be taken up further after the government places its response and relevant records before the court. At this stage, monthly payments under the Ladli Behna Yojana continue and the High Court has passed no order stopping either the scheme or its instalments.
