Delhi Lakshmi Yojana: 3 lakh women register; 71,411 submit forms in massive response (Lead)
New Delhi, Aug 4
The number of registrations on the portal of Delhi Lakshmi Yojana on Tuesday evening crossed the 3 lakh-mark by 8 pm, an official said.
As many as 3,00,709 women registered on the portal and 71,411 submitted their final applications till 8 pm, the official said.
Till 2 pm in the day, 2.65 lakh women had registered on the website and 52,175 had submitted their forms.
Under the scheme, eligible women will receive financial assistance of Rs 2,500 every month.
"Going beyond direct financial support, the scheme aims to connect women with savings, digital financial inclusion, social security and long-term financial stability, making it an innovative model in the country," Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said.
The scheme will initially be implemented for a period of three years and is expected to benefit nearly 17 lakh women.
The Chief Minister had officially launched the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana on Saturday and also inaugurated the scheme's online registration portal, www.dly.delhi.gov.in.
Within 12 hours of the portal going live, 33,730-plus registrations were done by city women.
During this period, 1,940 final applications were submitted, an official said.
The Chief Minister said the Delhi Cabinet had originally approved the scheme as the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana, but it was later renamed Delhi Lakshmi Yojana to better reflect the broader vision of women's dignity, prosperity and economic empowerment.
She added that the scheme has been designed differently from conventional cash assistance programmes.
Beneficiaries will be able to choose between two financial options based on their individual needs, the Chief Minister said.
"Under the first option, Rs 1,000 every month will be credited to a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) wallet for meeting day-to-day expenses, while the remaining Rs 1,500 will be deposited in an RD/FD account," she added.
"Under the second option, the entire Rs 2,500 will be deposited in an RD/FD every month, allowing beneficiaries to build substantial savings over time along with interest. In this way, the scheme seeks to provide immediate financial assistance as well as long-term financial security," she said.
The Chief Minister added that a digital negative list will be implemented for the CBDC wallet to ensure that government assistance is used only for essential household needs.
"The amount credited to the wallet cannot be spent on alcohol, tobacco, narcotic substances, lottery tickets, gambling, betting or any other goods and services prohibited by the government from time to time. This will ensure that the financial assistance is utilised for the welfare of families," the Chief Minister said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good initiative but 3 lakh registrations on first day shows the desperation. The government should ensure the money reaches the truly needy, not just those who can navigate the online portal. Also, what about women in rural areas without internet access?
Interesting approach with the CBDC wallet restriction on alcohol and tobacco. Never seen that before in welfare schemes globally. Smart way to ensure the money is used for household needs.
My mother is a domestic worker and she registered today! She was so happy to hear about the savings option. This will give her some security in her old age. Dhanyawad to the Delhi government for this thoughtful scheme. 🙏
It's encouraging to see digital currency being used for social welfare. India is really leading the way with CBDC integration. The 17 lakh target is ambitious but if the first day response is anything to go by, they'll exceed it.
The negative list on the CBDC wallet is a bit paternalistic. If we trust women with money, we should trust them to decide what's essential for their families. That said, the savings option is excellent - will encourage my wife and sister to apply.
As someone who studies social welfare programs, the dual
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.