13.85 Lakh Lakhpati Didis and Mahtari Vandan Scheme Driving Women Empowerment in Chhattisgarh
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The festival of Rakshabandhan was celebrated with immense warmth, affection, and vibrant cultural spirit at the Chief Minister’s official residence in Raipur. Women, self-help group members, dignitaries, and families from across Chhattisgarh gathered to tie rakhis on the wrist of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai, marking a day dedicated to familial bonds, societal gratitude, and a profound celebration of women's empowerment across the state.
Heartfelt Celebrations and Honoring Security Forces Through 'Sneh Ki Dor'
Welcoming the visiting mothers, sisters, and professionals with utmost warmth, Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai noted that the affection of sisters provides him with the inner strength and moral resolve to serve the state with total dedication. Among the emotional highlights of the day was Smt. Sarla Dubey—wife of the late Colonel Ashok Kumar Dubey, the first soldier from Chhattisgarh to join the Indian Army—tying a rakhi to the Chief Minister, marking a deeply proud moment for the state.
The spirit of protection and gratitude extended beyond personal bonds through the capital's unique 'Sneh Ki Dor' initiative. Under this program, women from self-help groups, differently-abled communities, and families of martyrs tied rakhis to roughly 1,600 frontline security personnel from the CRPF, BSF, CISF, and ITBP, honoring soldiers who remain away from their homes during festivals to safeguard the nation.
Empowering Chhattisgarh: Mahtari Vandan Yojana and the Lakhpati Didi Milestone
Highlighting concrete steps toward economic independence, CM Sai emphasized that the state government has prioritized women's welfare through flagship economic interventions:
Mahtari Vandan Yojana: Providing monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to approximately 6.8 million women across the state, the government successfully disbursed the 31st installment exceeding Rs 631 crore ahead of schedule on August 25, ensuring families could celebrate festivals with joy and financial ease.
Surpassing Lakhpati Didi Targets: While the initial state target aimed for 8 lakh Lakhpati Didis, relentless grassroots efforts have driven that number to 13.85 lakh women achieving Lakhpati Didi status over the past two years, showcasing extraordinary rural entrepreneurship.
Technological and Grassroots Innovation: Initiatives like the Drone Didi scheme are equipping village women with modern agricultural technology to spray fertilizers and earn substantial daily incomes, while e-rickshaw programs and sintering plate businesses tied to the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana are opening new avenues for financial self-reliance.
Industrial Policy Incentives and a Vision for a Developed Chhattisgarh
To further anchor women as industrial leaders, the state's new Industrial Development Policy offers special concessions, tax incentives, and a 50 percent registration fee waiver on land deeds in women's names, with nearly 30,000 women already benefiting. Furthermore, touching upon regional security and development, CM Sai remarked that successful counter-Naxalite operations backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have ushered in a new dawn of peace and infrastructure growth in Bastar. Concluding his address, the Chief Minister reiterated that the realization of a prosperous, developed Chhattisgarh by 2047 remains inextricably linked to the unyielding strength, enterprise, and leadership of its mothers and sisters.
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