Delhi CM Rekha Gupta launches Delhi Lakshmi Yojana
Hands over sanction letters to 65 beneficiaries
The Delhi Government on Wednesday formally launched the much-awaited Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, under which eligible women aged 21 to 60 will receive financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per month. The first payments are scheduled to be credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts from September 1.
The scheme was launched at a programme at Talkatora Stadium here in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Delhi MPs, ministers and senior government officials.
The Chief Minister said more than 9.22 lakh women had registered for the scheme since registration opened on August 1, while 4,190 beneficiaries had so far been approved following verification. Sanction letters were handed over to 65 women at the launch event.
Addressing the gathering, Gupta described the scheme as a “Teej ka Sindhara” and “Rakhi ki Saugaat” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Delhi’s women. She said the initiative was not merely about providing financial assistance but was aimed at strengthening women’s financial security and enabling them to take independent decisions.
Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Taranjit Singh Sandhu congratulated Delhi’s women on the launch and invoked Guru Nanak Dev’s teachings on the dignity and respect accorded to women. Referring to women as “Griha Lakshmi” in Indian households, he said the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana brought the sentiment of respecting and empowering women to the forefront.
Sandhu said women would have an equal role in building a developed Delhi and a developed India, stressing the importance of “Nari Shakti” in the country’s growth.
Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra described the scheme as a step towards fulfilling the Prime Minister’s “guarantee” and congratulated the Delhi Government for implementing it.
Malhotra said the BJP Government had set a benchmark by rolling out the large-scale Delhi Laxmi Yojana in less than 20 months of its tenure, offering Rs 2,500 monthly assistance, which, he claimed, was the highest such assistance in the country.
The event saw a celebratory atmosphere, with cultural performances and registration counters set up at the venue. Around 2,500 women were invited to attend the programme, while 65 beneficiaries were called on stage to receive their sanction letters.
