Women from households with an annual income of less than Rs 3 lakh and who do not pay income tax will be eligible for a Rs 2,500 monthly grant under the Delhi government’s Mahila Samriddhi Scheme. According to a report in The Indian Express, only women aged between 18 and 60, who are not in government jobs and are not receiving any other financial assistance, can apply for this scheme.
The scheme, one of the BJP’s key promises during the Delhi Assembly election campaign, is set to be launched on March 8, International Women’s Day. According to government estimates, around 15-20 lakh women are likely to qualify for this benefit.
Officials said the Cabinet note for the scheme will be ready shortly and presented for approval by the Council of Ministers. This scheme was discussed in the very first Cabinet meeting held by the new Chief Minister and Council of Ministers.
“Several rounds of meetings have taken place to finalise the modalities of the scheme. The Cabinet note will be ready by tomorrow, following which it will be put up for approval from the Council of Ministers. The scheme was among those taken up in the first Cabinet meeting held by the newly elected CM and the Council of Ministers,” an official said.
To simplify registration, the Delhi government is developing an online portal for applications. This portal will be integrated with a verification software that will cross-check applicants’ details with various government databases to ensure eligibility.
“A separate software is also being developed along with this portal by the IT department through which verification of all forms will be done to identify the eligible women… For the identification of women, the government has sought data from different departments,” sources said.
Data has been sought from departments such as the Chief Electoral Office and Food and Civil Supplies Department to identify potential beneficiaries.
“As per the voter list, over 72 lakh women are registered voters in Delhi and 50 percent cast their vote. We estimate that around 20 lakh women will meet the eligibility criteria… The government’s aim is to provide this scheme to deserving women,” a source said.
Delhi’s latest voter list shows 72 lakh registered women voters, of whom around 20 lakh are expected to meet the eligibility criteria. The portal will also connect with Aadhaar to verify applicants’ age, income, and other government benefits they may already be receiving. Women over 60 years old will not be eligible, as they already qualify for old age pension.
“The government is also exploring the possibility to seek data from the Income Tax department and link it with the portal, to check if the candidates applying for the scheme are taxpayers… Similarly, the BPL data will also be integrated in the portal… After the modules are set, eligibility criteria is set, these data sets will be integrated with the portal,” a source told The Indian Express.
“As it will be linked with the Aadhaar card, the portal will easily detect the age of the candidates. For instance, if a candidate is aged above 60, the portal will not accept the form because the government already provides financial assistance to senior citizens aged above 60 years,” an official said.
Initially, the scheme will use funds already allocated by the previous AAP government, with a budget increase planned from the next financial year. The registration process will formally kick off at Chhatrasal Stadium on March 8, in the presence of the Chief Minister and all ministers. Some eligible women are expected to receive the first installment during the launch event.