Women in Delhi could soon start receiving Rs. 2500 every month under a scheme the BJP led state government is now actively preparing to launch. The Delhi Lakshmi Yojana has been in the works for a while, and fresh movement at the top level suggests the administration is pushing to get it off the ground soon.
An Old Scheme Wearing a New Name
What is being presented now is not an entirely new idea. The scheme traces back to the earlier AAP government, which had introduced it as the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana. With the change in government, the BJP administration has chosen to carry the scheme forward under a new official name, the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana. The core purpose, putting monthly cash directly into the hands of eligible women, remains unchanged even though the branding has shifted.
Chief Minister Chairs Review Meeting
On Monday, July 13, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta headed a review meeting at the Delhi Secretariat specifically to assess preparations for rolling out the scheme next month. Calling a dedicated review meeting at this stage signals that the government wants to iron out logistics ahead of a fixed launch window, even as several operational pieces are still being finalised.
Who Qualifies: The Eligibility Rules
Even though the application process has not opened yet, the government has already made the eligibility criteria public. To qualify, a woman or her family must have lived in Delhi for at least 10 years. Neither the applicant nor any member of her family can have a criminal record. The family's total annual income must not exceed Rs. 2.5 lakh. And within a household, only the eldest woman is eligible to apply, meaning the benefit is capped at just one woman per family.
Who Gets Left Out
The scheme also lays out clear exclusions. Women who are already drawing a government pension or receiving any other form of regular financial assistance will not be eligible for this benefit. The criminal record clause is broader than it might first appear, since it disqualifies an entire family if any member, not just the applicant, has a criminal record on file. On top of that, households that own a four wheeler are also excluded from the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana altogether.
Registration Still Awaited
Current indications point to a rollout timed around Raksha Bandhan next month. Despite that expected timeline, the actual registration process has not yet begun, even though the eligibility criteria have already been made public ahead of it. The government has not yet announced either the registration process itself or a firm launch date. Officials are expected to release further details soon, covering how women can register, what documents will be required, and the exact mode through which the monthly amount will be disbursed. Until that announcement comes, eligible women will need to wait before they can formally apply.
