Govt allocates Rs 7,406 crore to Women and Child Development department

From two free LPG cylinders and free bus rides to the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana and free bicycles for 1.3 lakh girl students, from the setting up of ‘Rani Haat’ to link their skills with markets, subsidies and welfare schemes remain a key feature of the Delhi budget presented by the Rekha Gupta Government on Tuesday. The current budget places strong emphasis on women’s welfare, with multiple schemes aimed at financial empowerment, safety, mobility, and social security.

The Delhi Government allocated Rs 7,406 crore to the Women and Child Development department in the 2026-27 Budget.

Besides, Rs 450 crore has been allocated for free bus travel for women, continuing existing schemes.

Presenting her second budget, the chief minister, Rekha Gupta, announced a new budget of Rs 260 crore is proposed in BE 2026-27 for providing free gas cylinders on the occasion of Holi and Deepawali to ration cardholder families in Delhi, expanding the scope of direct household support.

Announcing the proposals, the chief minister said the “Delhi Lakhpati Betiya Yojana” is among the government’s most ambitious schemes, under which a total of Rs 61,000 will be deposited in the accounts of girls from birth till graduation, maturing to Rs 1.20 lakh. She proposed an allocation of Rs 128 crore for the scheme.

Last month, the Government announced that the Ladli Yojana, launched in 2008, would be replaced by the Lakhpati Betiya Yojana from April this year, as a large amount of unclaimed funds had accumulated under the previous scheme.

To promote self-reliance, the government will launch the ‘DURGA’ (Driving Upliftment and Rozgar for Women/Transgender Green e-Auto) scheme, under which 1,000 women and 100 transgender persons will be assisted in obtaining new auto-rickshaw permits in 2026-27, Gupta said.