As Delhi's wait for the new chief minister ended on Wednesday with the announcement of a new chief minister, bureaucrats working in the Delhi government have been instructed to prepare drafts of schemes centered on women and maintaining welfare schemes while managing the finances to develop the national capital's infrastructure. The BJP wooed Delhi voters with its ambitious pre-poll promises including those of freebies, which it once slammed including Mahila Samridhi Yojna and Mukhya Mantri Matritva Suraksha Yojana (MMMSY), cleaning of river Yamuna, garbages and air quality issues, water-logging and infrastructure, law and order, drinking water and slum dwellers issue are other challenges before the BJP government.
Sources in the Delhi government said, Delhi Women and Child Development Department has been instructed to prepare drafts by Thursday for schemes on providing Rs 2,500 monthly to all women, financial aid to pregnant women and assistance to poor families for their daughters' marriages. Putting in place a proper mechanism for this in the next few weeks is going to be a major challenge for the new BJP government, coming to power after 27 years.
Sources said that the Mahila Samman Yojana would be renamed Mahila Samridhi Yojana and beneficiaries will now receive Rs 2,500 per month, up from Rs 1,100 given by the previous government under AAP. Additionally, the department is working on nutritional charts to prepare kits for pregnant women under the Mukhya Mantri Matritva Suraksha Yojana (MMMSY).
In its poll manifesto, the BJP also promised to launch the Mukhya Mantri Kanyadan Yojana (MMKY), which will provide financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to poor families for their daughters' marriages. "Earlier, only widows received financial assistance of Rs 30,000 under the Widow-Daughter Marriage Scheme to marry off their daughters. However, under the newly proposed MMKY scheme, girls from underprivileged backgrounds will also receive Rs 50,000," the sources explained. Additionally, the department is working on nutritional charts to prepare kits for pregnant women under the Mukhya Mantri Matritva Suraksha Yojana (MMMSY).
As per the BJP's manifesto, under MMMSY, all pregnant women will receive financial assistance of Rs 21,000 along with six nutritional kits. The officer said, "We have been directed to submit the reports to the chief secretary by February 20. Further changes will be made in the final report based on their instructions."
To raise public awareness, the department plans to advertise the schemes, their benefits, and the registration procedures through radio jingles, metro station displays and announcements, and hoardings, he said. On the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8, the department will hold a media briefing to announce the schemes and provide related details, the official said.
Besides, Delhi's hazardous air quality remains a serious concern, especially during winter due to stubble burning, vehicular emissions, and industrial pollution. Implementing sustainable solutions, including expanding green cover, promoting electric vehicles, and improving waste management, will be crucial for the BJP government in Delhi. Delhi continues to struggle with water shortages and an irregular supply in many areas, further exacerbated by Yamuna's pollution. Clean drinking water and uninterrupted electricity supply were among the list of promises the BJP had made before the assembly election. The BJP The new government must ensure clean drinking water and uninterrupted electricity supply, particularly during peak summer months.
Law and order is another issue which needs immediate redressal. Strengthening policing measures and improving coordination with the Delhi Police will be a challenge.
