Delhi CM defends Lakshmi scheme eligibility: ‘Women aren’t birth machines’

Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Monday stressed that women’s health and financial empowerment were top priorities for the government and that women should not be treated merely as “machines for giving birth to children” as she hit back at criticism from the opposition over its eligibility conditions

Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Monday stressed that women’s health and financial empowerment were top priorities for the government and that women should not be treated merely as “machines for giving birth to children” as she hit back at criticism from the opposition over its eligibility conditions.

Chief minister Rekha Gupta during the Monsoon Session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly on Monday (HT)

Gupta was responding to allegations by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that the scheme’s impact would be limited by a condition excluding women with more than three children. AAP leader and former Delhi minister Gopal Rai also questioned the requirement for women to prove that they had been living in Delhi for 10 years, and said the registration process was tedious.

Addressing the criticism, Gupta said family planning was a personal choice and did not require anyone’s permission. She also opposed the practice of repeatedly expanding families in the hope of having a male child, stressing that women’s health could not be compromised in the process.

Responding to questions raised by the opposition during the second day of the monsoon session, she also accused successive Congress and AAP governments of failing to implement a scheme of comparable scale.

The Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, under which eligible women aged 21 to 60 will receive ₹2,500 a month, is among the biggest welfare initiatives of the BJP-led Delhi government, Gupta said. She said the scheme had been allocated ₹5,100 crore and would benefit around 1.7 million women.

Under the scheme, ₹1,000 of the monthly assistance will be made available through a digital wallet, while ₹1,500 will be saved through a fixed deposit or recurring deposit. Gupta said the savings component would accumulate over three years and could reach around ₹60,000, including interest.

According to the chief minister, 592,406 registrations had been completed since the portal was launched on August 1. She said the scheme was intended to financially empower women whose household responsibilities often went unrecognised as economic work.

The scheme, however, has several exclusion criteria. Women with more than three children are ineligible. Also excluded are women already receiving financial assistance or pensions under another government scheme, income-tax payers, GST return filers and government employees, as well as women belonging to families with members employed by the Centre or a state government. Families owning a four-wheeler, those with annual household electricity consumption exceeding 2,400 units and women with a criminal record are also excluded.

Gupta also defended the government’s position on women from neighbouring states using Delhi government facilities. Referring to Saheli Pink Smart Cards, which provide free travel to Delhi women and transgender residents on DTC and cluster buses, she said taxpayers’ money should primarily benefit Delhi residents.

The AAP had earlier accused the government of alienating women from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

“Women from Bihar and UP, who are staying in Delhi are eligible for pink cards. People from the previous government used to live in Delhi but pursue political gains from other states also,” she alleged.

The chief minister also criticised opposition MLAs over their conduct in the assembly, saying legislators should maintain dignity and propriety.

Gupta further attacked the opposition over its claims regarding women’s safety and dignity, citing allegations and cases involving some opposition leaders and former legislators. She referred to Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, who had alleged that she was assaulted at the then Delhi chief minister’s residence in 2024, while questioning the opposition’s record on women’s dignity. Gupta also alleged that Leader of Opposition Atishi was being kept away from the House by her party.

She also questioned the Punjab’s AAP government’s recent announcement of financial assistance for women, alleging that funds from the construction workers’ welfare fund were being used for the scheme.

Gupta defended the government’s proposed bicycle scheme for girls, rejecting criticism that it was linked to electoral politics. She said the initiative was intended to help girls travel to school, continue their education and reduce drop-out rates.

Gupta said the government had launched several initiatives for women and girls, including the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana (financial assistance), Saheli Pink Card (free bus travel), Anmol Yojana (free testing for newborns), two free LPG cylinders and Vidya Vahini Yojana (free bicycles for girls).

She said the government’s broader objective was to ensure that every girl in Delhi became empowered, self-reliant and capable of pursuing her aspirations. The government, she added, wanted Delhi’s daughters to complete their education and proudly become the “first in my bloodline” to achieve their dreams.

Former minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai had alleged that the three-child limit would render several women ineligible. He also questioned the requirement for women to prove that they had been living in Delhi for 10 years and said the registration process was tedious.

Timebound Services Bill

Delhi IT minister Pankaj Kumar Singh introduced the Delhi (Right of Citizens to Time Bound and Ease of Delivery of Services) Bill, 2026, in the Assembly. The proposed law seeks to replace the 2011 legislation and give citizens a legal right to receive notified government services within prescribed timelines.

Applications will receive a unique application number (UAN) for online tracking, with delayed cases automatically escalated to senior officers. Officials may face penalties of ₹250 a day, up to ₹5,000, for unjustified delays or wrongful rejection. The Bill also proposes a two-level grievance redressal mechanism and a Delhi Right to Service Commission.

Private Universities Bill on hold

The Delhi Private Universities Bill has been put on hold and is unlikely to be tabled during the session, officials said.

The Delhi Cabinet on Friday approved the draft law to create a legal framework for setting up private universities in the Capital. It proposes provisions allowing “vertical campuses” suited to a land-constrained city, reserving 25% of seats for Delhi students and permitting foreign higher education institutions to establish campuses in Delhi.

Tahir Hussain conviction

The second day of the session concluded with a debate over the conviction of former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma. The issue triggered a heated exchange between BJP and AAP MLAs, who accused each other of involvement in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.