Delhi Lakshmi Yojana: Rs 2,500 monthly aid for women approved, eligibility criteria detailed

The Delhi Cabinet approved Delhi Lakshmi Yojana which avails financial assistance of Rs 2,500 a month to every eligible woman in the city on Tuesday.

According to the Chief Minister’s office, the scheme was one of the BJP’s key promises ahead of last year’s assembly polls. The government plans to release the first instalment on Raksha bandhan, August 28.

The scheme will be eligible to women between the ages of 21 and 60 years with an annual family income of up to Rs 2.5 lakh. The initial timeline for the benefits from the scheme will remain in force for three years along with a provision for its continuation following a review.

The guidelines of the scheme were approved in a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Rekha Gupta, for which Rs 5,110 crore was earmarked in 2026-27 budget.

“It will lay the foundation for their dignity and a brighter future,” The Chief Minister, adding that the government fulfilled an important commitment it had made within a little over a year of assuming office.

Application

The monthly assistance can be availed under two options.

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, under the first option, which can be used only for govt-approved goods and services.

The second option lets beneficiaries receive the entire Rs 2,500 in RDs or FDs, encouraging long-term saving,

An online application portal will open on August 1. Govt has set up a district-level mechanism for scrutiny of applications, approval and grievance redressal.

Exclusion

The government stated that women who receive financial assistance or pension under govt schemes, such as old age pension, pension scheme for women in distress and disability pension, will be excluded and added that they would soon release new guidelines.

The scheme is also excluded to who file GST returns, govt employees, women with more than three living children, those from households consuming over 2,400 units of electricity annually or owning a four-wheeler, and those with a member employed in government or a public sector.

Women with criminal records are also excluded from financial assistance.

The government said that it aims to utilise the financial assistance to encourage education, healthcare, savings and skill development of women.

The beneficiaries will be encouraged to enrol children in school, obtain APAAR and ABHA IDs, complete immunisation, join self-help groups, and participate in government welfare, cleanliness and environmental initiatives.