India, July 29 -- After months of anticipation, the Delhi government on Tuesday unveiled the contours of its flagship Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, approving monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for over 17 lakh eligible women. The scheme will open for applications from August 1, with the first payment targeted around Raksha Bandhan. The scheme was approved at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta at the Delhi Secretariat. The government has earmarked Rs 5,110 crore for the scheme in the 2026-27 Budget. Announcing the decision, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the initiative marks a major step towards ensuring economic independence and social security for women. Gupta along with her cabinet colleagues celebrates the announcement of Delhi Lakshmi Yojana.
"The Delhi Lakshmi Yojana will lay the foundation for dignity and a brighter future for women," she said, adding that the government had fulfilled an important commitment made to the women of Delhi within just over a year of assuming office. The scheme will cover women aged 21 to 60 years whose annual family income does not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh. It will initially remain in force for three years, with the possibility of extension or modification later. The online application portal will open on August 1, and the government aims to release the first instalment on Raksha Bandhan. Applications will be processed through a district-level scrutiny mechanism to ensure transparency and speedy grievance redressal.
Beneficiaries will have two options for receiving the monthly assistance. Under the first, Rs.1,500 will be deposited into a recurring or fixed deposit account, while Rs.1,000 will be credited to a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Digital Rupee Wallet, which can be used only for approved goods and services. Alternatively, women may opt to receive the entire Rs.2,500 in an RD or FD to promote long-term savings. The government has excluded several categories from the scheme, including women already receiving financial assistance or pensions, income taxpayers, GST return filers, government employees, women with more than three living children, families consuming over 2,400 units of electricity annually, households owning a four-wheeler, families with a government employee, and women with a criminal record. Besides financial support, the scheme also seeks to promote children's education, healthcare, immunisation, skill development, participation in self-help groups and public welfare campaigns, including Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, Swachh Bharat Mission, and anti-single-use plastic initiatives.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.