The Mahtari Vandan Yojana, a significant program of the Chhattisgarh government, has resulted in the removal of over 3,399 women from the beneficiary list in Bastar district within a year. A total of 1,923 of these women were removed due to their demise. The remaining beneficiaries were delisted because of document errors or because they were employed by the government while still receiving benefits from the program.
Women and Child Development Officer Manoj Sinha stated that funds had been released in several instances due to the late notification of deaths, and the department is now in the process of recovering these amounts. The scheme was initiated last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kashi, and in the initial month, nearly 194,000 women in the district received their first installment. The 19th installment has already been disbursed this month. However, several women are still missing out on the benefits due to not registering, inactive Aadhaar cards, or recently becoming eligible.
Registration is ongoing in Naxal-affected areas. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Rajwade have declared that the registration portal will be reopened. The Women and Child Development Officer reported that while new registrations are not currently open in Bastar district, the department is carrying out registration in the Naxal-affected areas for victims. The department has placed suspicious beneficiaries on a list for investigation and is recovering funds from those who have benefited improperly.