The Delhi government will launch its flagship Delhi Lakshmi Yojana on Saturday, under which eligible women from economically weaker households will receive a monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500.
The scheme is one of the Rekha Gupta government’s key welfare initiatives aimed at providing financial support to women across the national capital. Eligible beneficiaries will be able to apply online immediately after the formal launch through a dedicated portal designed to enable seamless registration and faster processing of applications.
The Delhi government has allocated Rs 5,110 crore for the implementation of the scheme in its 2026-27 Budget. Officials estimate that more than 17 lakh women are expected to benefit once the programme becomes fully operational.
Under the eligibility criteria, women aged 21 to 60 years from families with an annual income of up to Rs 2.5 lakh will qualify for the scheme.
However, income tax payers, GST filers, government employees, and women already receiving financial assistance under other government welfare schemes will not be eligible. Families owning a four-wheeler, consuming more than 2,400 units of electricity annually, or having members employed in government departments or Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have also been excluded.
Additionally, women with more than three living children and those with a criminal record will not be eligible to avail benefits under the scheme.
The Delhi Lakshmi Yojana offers beneficiaries two options for receiving the monthly assistance. Under the first option, Rs 1,500 will be deposited into a recurring deposit (RD) or fixed deposit (FD) account, while the remaining Rs 1,000 will be credited to a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) wallet for approved essential purchases.
Alternatively, beneficiaries may opt to receive the entire Rs 2,500 directly into an RD or FD account instead of splitting the amount between a bank account and the CBDC wallet.
Besides providing direct financial assistance, the scheme aims to encourage social welfare initiatives, including school enrolment, creation of APAAR and ABHA IDs, timely vaccination, registration on the POSHAN Tracker, participation in campaigns such as ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, as well as greater involvement of women in self-help groups and skill development programmes.
Applications will be processed through the dedicated Delhi Lakshmi Yojana portal. District-level committees will scrutinise applications, grant approvals and address grievances to ensure transparent and efficient implementation of the scheme.
(With inputs from IANS)
