Lakshmi Yojana cleared, Rs 2,500 monthly aid for 17 lakh women

The Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, a flagship welfare scheme that promises monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 to eligible women. The Government is targeting to roll out the first installment on Raksha Bandhan.

The scheme, approved at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, is expected to benefit more than 17 lakh women across the national Capital. The Delhi Government has earmarked Rs 5,110 crore for the scheme in the 2026-27 Budget.

Announcing the decision after the Cabinet meeting, Gupta said the scheme fulfils a key promise made by her Government to strengthen the economic independence of women. She described the initiative as a step towards ensuring financial security and self-reliance for women in Delhi.

Under the scheme, women aged between 21 and 60 years with an annual family income of up to Rs 2.5 lakh will be eligible for assistance. The scheme will initially remain in force for three years, with provision for continuation or modification thereafter.

The application process will be conducted entirely online through the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana portal, which will open on August 1. The Government aims to release the first instalment to eligible beneficiaries on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

Beneficiaries will have two options for receiving the monthly assistance. Under the first option, Rs 1,500 will be deposited in a recurring or fixed deposit account, while Rs 1,000 will be credited to a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Digital Rupee wallet. The amount in the digital wallet can only be spent on goods and services permitted by the Government. The second option allows beneficiaries to receive the entire Rs 2,500 in a recurring or fixed deposit to encourage long-term savings.

The amount credited to the Digital Wallet can be spent only on permitted goods and services as specified under the Government’s prescribed Negative List. Under the second option, beneficiaries may choose to receive the entire Rs 2,500 in an RD/FD. This option is intended to help women build long-term savings and Capital.

The CM said the entire application process will be conducted online through the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana Portal. The portal will open on August 1, allowing eligible women to submit their applications.

The Government has also put in place a district-level mechanism for verifying applications, approving beneficiaries, and grievance redressal. The Cabinet also approved a list of exclusions under the scheme. Women already receiving benefits under any other financial assistance scheme or pension, income taxpayers, GST return filers, Government employees, women with more than three living children, and women with a criminal record will not be eligible.

The Chief Minister clarified that certain categories of women will not be eligible under the scheme. These include women already receiving benefits under any other financial assistance scheme or pension, income taxpayers, GST return filers, government employees, women with more than three living children, families with annual electricity consumption exceeding 2,400 units, families with a member employed by the State Government, the Government of India, a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) or any Government organisation, families owning a four-wheeler, and women with a criminal record.

Besides providing financial assistance, the Government said the scheme will encourage beneficiaries to enroll children in schools, create APAAR and ABHA IDs, ensure timely immunisation, register on the POSHAN Tracker, participate in environmental campaigns, and join self-help groups and skill development programmes.

The CM said the initiative would promote a culture of savings while supporting education, healthcare and skill development, adding that it is expected to play a key role in empowering women across Delhi.