Mahatari Vandan Yojana: Giving Wings to Women’s Dreams—Dujemati Sonwani’s Dream of Air Travel Comes True

Raipur, 18 September 2024// The public welfare schemes of the Chhattisgarh government are not only providing financial assistance but also inspiring women to achieve their aspirations and goals.

Hence, one such ambitious scheme Mahtari Vandan Yojana aided Mrs Dujemati Sonwani, who took her maiden flight, marking the fulfilment of a long-held dream to travel by air.

Mrs Dujemati, a housewife from Tundri village in the Sarangarh-Bilaigarh district had never imagined flying before has now turned her dream into reality with the help of this scheme. Under Mahtari Vandan Yojana, women receive Rs 1,000 per month directly in their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Over time, Mrs Dujemti saved this amount and planned her first air trip.
She recently took her first flight from Raipur to Jagdalpur and visited the stunning Chitrakote Waterfall. The delightful journey was an unforgettable experience, a dream she had cherished for years. Reflecting on her childhood, Mrs Dujemati expressed that traveling by airplane always felt out of reach due to financial constraints.

Mahtari Vandan Yojana not only fulfilled her dream but also empowered her with a sense of self-reliance. She happily shared that she uses the financial assistance for various purposes, including festival shopping and travel aspirations.

Sharing her gratitude to the Chhattisgarh government and the Chief Minister, Mrs Dujemati said, “Mahtari Vandan Yojana has sparked new hope in lives of many women. I now feel proud to be benefitted from government schemes that enable me to achieve my dreams.”

This initiative is more than just financial support, it has become a vital source of empowerment and self-confidence for women, she added.

Chhattisgarh government has prioritize to strengthen economic condition and encouraging self-reliance of women in the state. Consistent efforts are being made to improve in their health and nutrition level while ensuring strengthening their decisive role in the family.

In other words with an aim to remove discrimination, inequality and lack of awareness towards women in the society and to improve health and nutrition level with their empowerment it was decided to implement the “Mahatari Vandan Yojana”. Under this, financial assistance of monthly financial assistance of Rs 1000 is provided to married, widowed, separated and divorced women, who are above 21 years of age.

Mahtari Vandan Yojana was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 10 March 2024.

Under the scheme, in the first phase, more than 70 lakh women were selected as beneficiaries and seven instalments were transferred in their bank accounts. The Women and Child Development Department has paid the assistance amount of Rs 4578 crore for seven months from March to September in the accounts of women.