International Women’s Day: BJP mulling to launch financial aid scheme for women in Delhi on March 8

Sources said the “Chief Secretary held a meeting with the WCD department secretary on Saturday at the Delhi Secretariat to discuss the modalities” and that a “draft proposal” is likely to finalised in the next few days.

A Cabinet meeting is also likely to take place this week, where the scheme will be taken up and passed.

“A big function on International Women’s Day is being planned on March 8, and the CM is likely to make the announcement and launch the scheme on that day… The registration process through online applications is likely to begin the same day,” said sources.

Officials said several camps would be set up at various places to help the women register.

The scheme — which Prime Minister Narendra Modi also mentioned in his speech on the last day of the election campaigning — was one of the top promises made by the BJP in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections.

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 all will see that the BJP government will be formed In Delhi and on March 8, it is International Women’s Day… they (women) will start getting money in their accounts.”

On the criteria, officials said women from economically weaker sections with a family income between Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh will likely be eligible to avail the scheme. “The age bar is likely to be between 18 years and 60 years as those over 60 years get old age pensions. Also, women who are already receiving availing pensions from the government will be excluded from the scheme… taxpayers and women in government jobs will also not be not eligible… Once the Vidhan Sabha session ends, work on this scheme will be expedited,” said a senior official.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, while replying to a question related to the scheme last week, said the previous AAP government “left an empty public exchequer” but assured people that the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana would be rolled out after thorough planning. “This is an important scheme for women in Delhi, and we will implement it after detailed planning,” she said.

On Sunday, BJP MP from Northeast Manoj Tiwari also said registration for the scheme would start from March 8.

Meanwhile, the AAP once again highlighted the BJP’s pre-election commitment regarding the scheme. “When will the BJP give Delhi’s women the Rs 2,500 they were promised?” it asked.

Hitting back at AAP, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said, “After losing power, the leaders of the AAP have become unemployed; now they have found employment by creating fabricated issues and staging protests.”