New Delhi, 29 July (H.S.): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday criticised the Delhi Government over the eligibility criteria for the Delhi Lakshmi Scheme, alleging that imposing multiple conditions for beneficiaries defeats the purpose of a welfare programme.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Bharadwaj said the Delhi Cabinet had approved a proposal a day earlier to provide a monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 to women in the national capital. However, he claimed that the scheme had been cleared with several eligibility conditions attached.

The AAP Delhi chief alleged that before the Assembly elections, the government had promised that the Delhi Lakshmi Scheme would benefit all women in Delhi. He questioned why numerous conditions had now been introduced, claiming that they would effectively prevent most eligible women from receiving the benefits.

Bharadwaj said the first eligibility condition requires a woman to be above 21 years of age and below 60 years. Questioning the age criterion, he said that while every citizen above the age of 18 is eligible to vote, the government had imposed a different age threshold for availing the scheme's benefits.

He further alleged that the government had laid down several additional conditions, including proof of residing in Delhi for at least 10 years, limiting the benefit to only one woman per family, requiring that no member of the applicant's family should have any criminal case against them, restricting eligibility to families with no more than three children, limiting annual electricity consumption to not more than 2,400 units, and making possession of a ration card mandatory. Bharadwaj described the Delhi Lakshmi Scheme as a mockery.

Criticising the government further, the AAP Delhi president said the government was formed in February and had promised to deposit Rs 2,500 into the bank accounts of all eligible women on March 8, International Women's Day. He alleged that no payments had been made so far and claimed that the government never intended to implement the scheme for the benefit of women.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar