Women gather to thank CM Rekha as Lakshmi Yojana portal goes live August 1

A large number of women gathered at the Delhi Secretariat on Wednesday to greet Chief Minister Rekha Gupta with slogans and applause following the Cabinet’s approval of the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana the previous day, welcoming the Rs 2,500 monthly assistance scheme as a historic step toward women’s dignity, self-reliance, and economic empowerment.

The Chief Minister confirmed the portal will go live on August 1 and that efforts will be made to release the first instalment to eligible beneficiaries on Raksha Bandhan.

The gathering at the Secretariat premises broke into celebration when the Chief Minister arrived, with women greeting her and interacting with her directly to express their gratitude.

They described the scheme as a decision that would usher in a new era of financial security and self-confidence for lakhs of women in Delhi.

The Chief Minister told the gathering that the honour was not for her personally but for the aspirations and trust of every woman in Delhi.

She said the Delhi Government had taken a significant step toward fulfilling the promise it had made to women and that the trust of women is the government’s greatest strength.

She said the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana is not merely a financial assistance scheme but a broader initiative to enable women to lead self-reliant, empowered, and dignified lives.

The portal will open on August 1, allowing eligible women to submit online applications. Following eligibility verification and approval, the Government will aim to disburse the first instalment to beneficiaries in the initial phase on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

Under the scheme, eligible women between 21 and 60 years of age with a family annual income of up to Rs 2.50 lakh will receive Rs 2,500 every month. Beneficiaries can choose between two disbursement options: Rs 1,500 in an RD or FD with Rs 1,000 credited to a CBDC Digital Rupee Wallet, or the entire Rs 2,500 deposited in an RD or FD for long-term savings. A budget provision of Rs 5,110 crore has been made for the scheme, which is expected to benefit over 17 lakh women.

The scene at the Secretariat on Wednesday, with a crowd of women gathering spontaneously to greet the CM, gave the Government a publicly visible moment to frame the scheme’s announcement as a response to genuine popular demand rather than a political calculation.