India, July 29 -- Women with more than three living children will not be eligible for the Rs.2,500 monthly payout under the Delhi government's flagship welfare scheme for women. The criterion could probably exclude about 15% of women in the lowest income strata of Delhi's households, according to an HT analysis of the latest data available.

The restriction was revealed after guidelines for the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana scheme were approved by the Cabinet led by chief minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday. The scheme will also exclude women who use more than 2,400 units of electricity a year - which is essentially monthly usage above the 200-unit threshold for free power.

A monthly financial assistance scheme for women was a key electoral plank for...