Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said registrations for the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana would remain open until all eligible women are covered, as she described the Rs 2,500-a-month financial assistance programme as the largest such initiative undertaken by the Delhi government. Speaking during the ongoing monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly, Gupta said nearly 5.92 lakh registrations had been recorded within 10 days of the scheme’s launch on August 1.
The government has set a target of covering 17 lakh women under the programme. “Around 5.92 lakh registrations have already been done under the scheme in just 10 days of the start of the scheme. Our target is 17 lakh women, providing financial aid to women who really deserve it; we will not stop registration till we reach that figure,” Gupta said. Under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, eligible women between the ages of 21 and 60 will receive monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500.
Women with more than three children and those belonging to households with annual electricity consumption exceeding 2,400 units are excluded from the scheme. “Delhi Lakshmi Yojana is the government's biggest scheme of its kind; be it the 15-year government (Congress) or the 11-year government (AAP), no one did it. Government has made a resolve to do this for the women of Delhi,” Gupta said during a Motion of Thanks concerning the scheme.
The first instalment under the scheme is expected to be released around Raksha Bandhan, which falls on August 28 this year. Gupta said the broader objective of the government was to make women financially independent and enable girls to pursue education and their ambitions. “The government wants every girl to be empowered, strong and self-reliant, and to be able to live her dreams. With this objective, several schemes have been launched for girls so that every girl could become what she wanted to be, complete her education and proudly say, ‘first in my bloodline’,” she said.
The chief minister also used the phrase “clock it” while making a case for the government’s initiatives for women. The AAP has, however, raised concerns over the application process and eligibility conditions attached to the scheme. These include the requirement that beneficiaries must have been residents of Delhi for at least 10 years and obtain a recommendation from their local MP or MLA.
Gupta also urged legislators to treat women approaching the Assembly for signatures on their applications with dignity and respect.
“Keeping the dignity of women in mind, MLAs should conduct themselves properly and treat women with respect,” Gupta said, addressing AAP MLA Anil Jha, who was present in the House. Referring to a social media reel made by Jha, Gupta said, “Delhi's women are asking how such behaviour can be acceptable. Such conduct in front of the women of Delhi is shameful.”
The chief minister also used her Assembly remarks to question a recent announcement of financial assistance for women in Punjab. She challenged Opposition claims that money under the Punjab initiative had already been distributed, pointing out that the scheme had been announced only in July, shortly before elections. “The Punjab government had taken no step in this direction over the previous four years, and even now the court had stayed the use of the funds and made it clear that the money belonged to the welfare fund for construction workers,” Gupta said.
Her remarks added a political dimension to the debate over the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, with the ruling party highlighting the programme as a major welfare intervention while the Opposition continues to question its eligibility conditions and implementation. The Delhi government, meanwhile, has indicated that the registration exercise will continue until its target of 17 lakh eligible women is reached.