Women from poor families in Delhi can expect monthly monetary support of Rs 2,500 by mid-March under the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana as promised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), sources have said. The scheme — which found mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on the last day of the election campaigning — will be one of the party’s top priorities, among other poll promises, and the new government will work to deliver it on time as the PM promised, sources added.
“The oath-taking ceremony and the process of the government formation will take place once the Prime Minister returns from the United States. As soon as the government is formed, the work on the financial assistance scheme for women will start. It will be taken up in the first Cabinet meeting of the BJP government,” said a source, adding that the party has a roadmap on how to deliver the scheme on time.
Addressing a campaign before the elections, PM Modi had said: “We have pledged to give Rs 2,500 to our sisters… this guarantee will be completed because it is Modi’s guarantee… you will see that the BJP government will be formed In Delhi and on March 8, International Women’s Day… they (women) will start getting money in their accounts.”
The BJP has returned to power after a gap of 27 years in the Capital with a resounding win in 48 of 70 Assembly seats.
On allotting the budget for the scheme, sources said that initially, “the plan is to implement the scheme for this fiscal year for which a budget provision can be made from the revised budget estimates of 2024-25.”.
A source in the party explained, “Let’s say, Rs 600 crore or Rs 700 crore… whatever amount is required to deliver the scheme… After that, a new plan for the next financial year will be made. This way, the women will get money in their account on time every month…”
Shedding light on procedural aspects, a government official said, “The previous government had already passed a similar scheme proposing Rs 1,000 per month to women. It is yet to be implemented. If the new government wants, it can revise or modify the scheme and increase the amount to Rs 2,500… It can also modify the eligibility criteria…”
The official further added, “How they want to deliver is also a question. For instance, if they want to develop a portal, then it will take time… there are many technicalities. But even before the government is formed, if directions are given, the department concerned will start working on a new plan… because the department must have identified the women and families below the poverty line… and studied similar schemes implemented in other states… once the Women and Child Development Department issues a proposal, the Finance Department will give its comments in just a day and the required budget will be provisioned…”
However, a senior BJP official said that BJP will come up with its own plan to deliver its promises. “The party has already implemented similar schemes successfully in other states such as Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra…”
Last year, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government promised to provide Rs 1,000 to non-tax-paying women in Delhi every month. The scheme was passed by former CM Atishi-led cabinet in December despite the objections raised by the Finance Department.
The Finance Department highlighted the fiscal situation of Delhi and advised the government not to bring the scheme till a concrete plan with a roadmap was prepared. It also pointed out that the expenditure on subsidies would increase from 15% to 20% if the scheme was implemented and added that “implementing a scheme through a loan will be financially not viable”
The AAP government projected a cost of Rs 4,560 crore for 2025-26 for implementing the scheme.
After tendering her resignation from the post of CM, Atishi, who will now be in Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, said, “The BJP has promised that in the first Cabinet meeting, it will pass (the scheme), and from March 8, this money will start coming into every woman’s account. We will make the BJP fulfill this promise
Share
