New Delhi, 01 August (H.S.): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday officially launched the ‘Delhi Lakshmi Yojana’ and inaugurated the scheme’s online registration portal at an event held at the District Magistrate’s Office in East Delhi.
Under the scheme, eligible women will receive financial assistance of Rs. 2,500 per month. The initiative aims to go beyond direct financial support by creating an innovative model focused on women’s savings, digital financial inclusion, social security, and long-term economic stability.
Addressing the programme, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that the Delhi government has fulfilled its commitment towards the economic empowerment of women by bringing the scheme into implementation. She said the Delhi Cabinet had initially approved the initiative under the name ‘Mahila Samriddhi Yojana’, which was later renamed ‘Delhi Lakshmi Yojana’ to reflect the broader vision of women’s dignity, prosperity, and economic empowerment.
The Chief Minister said the scheme will initially be implemented for three years and is expected to benefit around 17 lakh women. Through the initiative, eligible beneficiaries will receive Rs. 2,500 every month, enabling them to meet household needs while also building savings for the future.
She said the scheme has been designed differently from traditional cash assistance programmes. Beneficiaries will have two financial options based on their requirements. Under the first option, Rs. 1,000 every month will be transferred to a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) wallet for meeting daily needs, while the remaining Rs. 1,500 will be deposited into recurring deposit (RD) and fixed deposit (FD) accounts. Under the second option, the entire amount of Rs. 2,500 per month will be deposited into RD and FD accounts, helping beneficiaries build substantial savings with interest over time.
The Chief Minister said the CBDC wallet will have a digital negative list to ensure that government funds are used only for essential family requirements. The assistance amount will not be permitted for purchasing alcohol, tobacco products, narcotic substances, lottery tickets, gambling, betting, or other restricted goods and services notified by the government from time to time.
Rekha Gupta said the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana will operate through a fully technology-driven and digital platform. The newly launched DLY portal will integrate application submission, document verification, eligibility assessment, approval procedures, PFMS integration, banking services, CBDC transfers, and SMS notifications, making the entire process faster, transparent, and accountable.
She added that every application will undergo a four-level verification and approval process before sanction. Initially, applications will be examined by the District Programme Management Unit, followed by verification by the District Women and Child Development Officer. Subsequently, the District Level Approval, Monitoring and Grievance Redressal Committee will review and approve applications.
The Chief Minister said detailed verification will be conducted to ensure that only genuine eligible beneficiaries receive assistance. The verification process will include Aadhaar authentication, Delhi voter registration, annual income details, family information, electricity consumption records, vehicle ownership details, pension records, government service records, and other prescribed eligibility criteria. In case of false information or fraud, provisions have been made for recovery of funds along with necessary legal and administrative action.
According to the scheme guidelines, the eldest eligible woman in a family will be allowed to apply. The applicant must be between 21 and 60 years of age, have an annual family income of up to Rs. 2.50 lakh, and either the applicant, her parents, or husband must have been residents of Delhi for at least 10 years. The beneficiary must also be a registered voter in Delhi.
Rekha Gupta said a State Programme Management Unit will be established for effective implementation of the scheme, along with District Programme Management Units in all 13 districts of Delhi. District-level Approval, Monitoring and Grievance Redressal Committees under the chairmanship of District Magistrates will oversee approvals, grievance resolution, and regular monitoring of implementation.
The Chief Minister said the scheme will be implemented through coordinated efforts of the Department of Women and Child Development, district administration, Pay and Accounts Office, banking partners, PFMS, UIDAI, NPCI, and other technical agencies. Regular monitoring will be conducted through dashboards, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Management Information Systems (MIS), data analytics, field verification, social audits, third-party evaluations, and impact assessments to ensure transparency and accountability.
She appealed to women to apply online for the scheme from August 1 through the official portal [www.dly.delhi.gov.in](http://www.dly.delhi.gov.in). Applicants can fill out the form, upload required documents, choose their preferred financial option, and link their CBDC wallet or bank account with the scheme.
The Chief Minister said the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana is not limited to providing monthly financial assistance. Beneficiaries will also be linked with various government schemes and services, including APAR ID, ABHA ID, Poshan Tracker, vaccination programmes, the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, Swachh Bharat Mission, and other social development initiatives.
She added that efforts will also be made to connect women with self-help groups, skill development programmes, and entrepreneurship training to help them achieve long-term self-reliance. Describing the scheme as more than just a welfare initiative, Rekha Gupta said it represents a broader social transformation campaign aimed at strengthening women’s dignity, financial security, savings culture, and participation in building a developed Delhi.
The event was attended by Laxmi Nagar MLA Abhay Verma, Patparganj MLA Ravinder Negi, Trilokpuri MLA Ravikant, Krishna Nagar MLA Anil Goyal, Shahdara MLA Sanjay Goyal, senior officials from concerned departments, dignitaries, and a large number of women.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
