Declaring 2026 as “Mahatari Gaurav Varsh” (Year of Motherly Pride), Chhattisgarh under Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai is scripting a transformative chapter in women’s honor, dignity, and economic self reliance. Grounded initiatives are yielding tangible results, as evidenced by robust data and heartfelt testimonials from Women and Child Development Minister Smt. Laxmi Rajwade. This is not rhetoric. It is a revolution empowering mothers and sisters as the state’s developmental fulcrum.
The CM emphasized that Mahatari Gaurav Varsh is a comprehensive campaign for women’s autonomy. The budget prioritizes nutrition and health: 800 crore Rupees for anganwadi operations, 650 crore Rupees for supplementary feeding, and 235 crore Rupees for malnutrition eradication and nutrition drives. These investments forge a robust future generation. Launched on March 10, 2024, the flagship Mahatari Vandana Yojana has revolutionized aid, disbursing over 16,881 crore Rupees in 26 installments to nearly 70 lakh women at 1,000 Rupees monthly, backed by a 8,200 crore Rupees allocation. The proposed Rani Durgavati Yojana promises 1.5 lakh Rupees at age 18 for daughters, with 15 crore Rupees earmarked.
Infrastructure surges ahead: 75 crore Rupees for Mahatari Sadans (368 approved, 137 completed), and 42 crore Rupees for 500 new anganwadi centers, enhancing rural urban access. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana boasts 3.73 lakh registrations and 235 crore Rupees disbursed, with enrollments leaping from 1.75 lakh (2023 to 2024) to 2.19 lakh (2024 to 2025), hitting 93% of 2025 to 2026 targets. Nutrition feats shine: first in per center performance and third overall in Poshan Maas 2024, with 9,700 plus Nyota Bhoj events benefiting 1.83 lakh children.
Self help groups pivot to ready to eat foods and Lakhpati Didi ventures for entrepreneurship. 38 lakh women access clean fuel via Ujjwala, while Sakhi One Stop Centers expanded from 27 to 34, resolving 8,900 of 14,300 cases. These strides affirm Chhattisgarh’s resolve: from symbolic gestures to substantive change, Sai Rajwade leadership positions women as architects of progress.
Challenges remain sustained implementation amid fiscal pressures but Mahatari Gaurav Varsh heralds an empowered Chhattisgarh, where maternal strength fuels national resurgence.
