NEW DELHI: As promised in its manifesto in the recently concluded Assembly elections, the BJP-led Delhi government today announced the rollout of the 'Mahila Samriddhi Yojana'.
The formal announcement was made by BJP National President JP Nadda at JLN Stadium after the Delhi Cabinet meeting at the Delhi Secretariat, which approved the initiative.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta said that Mahila Samriddhi Yojana is for women’s financial empowerment. As part of the scheme, Delhi women from economically weaker sections will receive Rs 2,500 as a monthly allowance. Registration for the scheme will start soon.
The BJP, which had promised the scheme in the national capital, registered victory in the February 5 Assembly elections, winning 48 out of 70 seats. The saffron party brought an end to AAP's 10-year rule in the national capital.
The AAP won 22 seats, failing to retain power this time. After the unprecedented win, the party leaders had hinted at implementing the scheme on Women's Day.
Delhi BJP President Virendra, on the occasion, said that the scheme has been implemented barely two weeks after the government's formation as the party is committed to fulfilling all the promises made before the Assembly elections.
As per the announcement, the scheme aims to provide direct financial assistance to eligible women in the national capital. The Delhi government will transfer the funds directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts via the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
As per the report, the Delhi government has been developing an online portal for registrations, along with dedicated software for verification and eligibility checks. The IT department is working on integrating data from various departments to identify genuine beneficiaries. Other government departments have been requested to share data to facilitate the selection of beneficiaries.
The eligible beneficiaries should be residents of Delhi and should be between the ages of 18 and 60, with a family income of less than Rs 3 lakh per annum and be non-taxpayers. The scheme cannot be availed by government employees or any individual already receiving financial help from other schemes run by the government, such as widow pension, old-age pension, or any similar assistance.
Documents like Aadhaar card, ration card, address proof, and registered mobile number are required to complete the process. According to an estimate, nearly 15 to 20 lakh women will benefit from the scheme, which will put a burden of nearly Rs 4,500–5,000 crore on the Delhi government's exchequer every financial year.
