Bhopal, February 25: The Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Saturday okayed a proposal to provide Rs 1000 per month to women as part of its 'Ladli Bahna Yojana', an official said. In a video message, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said this was a historic decision to empower women, which in turn will empower society.

"If the society is empowered the state stands empowered and state empowerment means country's empowerment. Without the empowerment of half of the population (women), the country cannot be empowered," the CM said.

Women over the age of 23 will be entitled to reap the benefit of the scheme that will be launched on March 5, he said. Women above the age of 60, who were getting Rs 600 as pension now, will also be entitled to get Rs 1000 from hereon, he added. Madhya Pradesh Will Become $550 Trillion Economy, Says CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Watch Video).

All arrangements are being made to ensure women can fill the forms for the scheme easily, Chouhan said. Assembly polls are due in MP at the end of the year.

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