Raipur, December 24, 2025: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai led government has announced that the coming year will be celebrated as ‘Mahtari Gaurav Varsh’ (Mother’s Pride Year), while giving top priority to the respect, safety, and empowerment of women.
Chief Minister Sai said that the Chhattisgarh government is taking new and innovative decisions in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed India. The Chhattisgarh Anjor Vision 2047 has been prepared for a developed Chhattisgarh.
Considering the strong participation of women in a developed Chhattisgarh, the state has decided to celebrate the coming year as ‘Mahtari Gaurav Varsh’, said Sai.
The Chief Minister clarified that ‘Mahtari Gaurav Varsh’ will be a strong commitment to taking women’s empowerment, safety, health, self-reliance, and social dignity to new heights.
He expressed confidence that this year will write a new chapter of leadership, participation, and respect for women in Chhattisgarh, which will form a strong foundation for a developed, harmonious, and empowered Chhattisgarh.
The Chief Minister said that the government receives its greatest blessings from mothers and sisters. Their trust, support, and blessings provide new energy and direction to public service. Inspired by this emotional and social responsibility, the state government has taken this historic decision.
Sai said that the first year of his tenure as Chief Minister was dedicated as the ‘Year of Trust’, during which trust was re-established between the government and the people. The second year was celebrated as ‘Atal Nirman Varsh’ (Atal Construction Year), dedicated to former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Atal Behari Vajpayee, during which many important works related to strengthening infrastructure, social development, and public welfare were completed.
Now, the coming year of service will be celebrated as ‘Mahtari Gaurav Varsh’, dedicated to women, where mothers and sisters will be the focal point of all major schemes and programmes of the state.
The work done in the last two years under the leadership of the Chief Minister, focusing on women’s empowerment, has established Chhattisgarh as an ideal model on the national stage. The government has set a new direction for socio-economic transformation by making the respect, safety, health, livelihood, and decision-making power of women the cornerstone of its policies.
Under the Mahtari Vandan Yojana, which strengthens the economic independence of women, approximately 70 lakh married women in the state are being provided with a monthly assistance of Rs 1,000. So far, an amount of Rs 14,306.33 crore has been transferred directly to their bank accounts in 22 installments. The provision of Rs 5,500 crore for women’s welfare is clear evidence that women are at the center of the state’s development journey.
Decisions such as a one per cent rebate in registration fees to grant women property rights, the construction of 368 Mahtari Sadans (women’s shelters), and online payment of honorariums to Mitanin (community health workers) and Anganwadi workers have further strengthened good governance and transparency. To empower self-help groups economically, 42,878 women’s groups have been provided with concessional loans amounting to Rs 12,946.65 lakh. In addition, the ready-to-eat food programme has been entrusted to women’s self-help groups in six districts, including Bastar.
To create new livelihood opportunities for women, initiatives such as the Chief Minister Noni Empowerment Scheme, Nawabihaan Scheme, Digital Sakhi, Didi E-rickshaw Scheme, sewing machine assistance, and Minimata Mahtari Jatan Yojana have been implemented. Under the Chief Minister Kanya Vivah Yojana, a significant portion of the assistance amount for the marriage of girls is being deposited directly into the girl’s bank account, which has strengthened both transparency and self-reliance.
Chhattisgarh has also taken historic initiatives in the field of women’s safety. The integrated operation of One-Stop Centers, the 181 Women’s Helpline, and Dial 112 has ensured quick and effective assistance in times of crisis. Under the Sukhad Sahara Yojana, more than 2.18 lakh widowed and abandoned women are being provided with monthly financial assistance. The Suchita scheme, the bicycle distribution scheme, and the construction of the Unity Mall in Nava Raipur to connect the products of women’s self-help groups to national and international markets are significant steps towards strengthening the health and education of adolescent girls.
The efforts to give global recognition to the ‘Jashpure’ brand, run by tribal women of Jashpur district, are also opening new opportunities for women.
Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Rajwade said that making women economically self-reliant, along with creating a safe, dignified, and empowering environment for them, is the state government’s top priority.
She said that initiatives like the Mahtari Vandan Yojana, Nawabihaan, Lakhpati Didi, Suchita, and Mahtari Sadan are laying a strong foundation for the overall development of women.
By allocating a budget of Rs. 8,245 crore to the Women and Child Development Department in 2025-26, the state government has given a clear message that women’s welfare, safety, and empowerment are its highest priority. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai, Chhattisgarh is emerging as a symbol of new direction, new hope, and new transformation in the field of women’s empowerment, officials said.
