Delhi govt clears ₹1,000 per month to women; money to be given only after poll

Delhi's cabinet approved a ₹1,000 monthly assistance for women, set to increase to ₹2,100 post-2025 elections, as part of AAP's electoral strategy.

The Delhi cabinet has approved a scheme to provide monthly financial assistance of ₹1,000 to women in the national capital, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday, adding that the scheme is slated to be raised to ₹2,100 after the 2025 assembly elections.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal announces the launch of the scheme at AAP headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

The scheme for financial assistance to all women in Delhi is among the pivotal elements of the party’s outreach ahead of the critical elections slated in early 2025.

Kejriwal, however, clarified that the money would only be credited into the bank accounts of beneficiaries after the elections.

“The elections are likely to be announced in the next 15 days so it is not possible to transfer the money into your accounts now. But the scheme has been implemented,” Kejriwal said at an event at the AAP headquarters.

He added that in light of inflation, the government will raise the scheme to ₹2,100 a month after the elections.

“While we were working on this scheme, many women came to me and said due to high inflation ₹1,000 is too little. I am announcing today that the registration for the scheme will start from tomorrow and it will be for ₹2,100 per month,” he said.

All women in Delhi are entitled to apply for the “Mahila Samman Yojana” if they meet certain conditions — they should not be income taxpayers, government employees or pensioners.

A senior Delhi government official involved in the process said the eligibility criteria for the ₹1,000 a month scheme includes that the woman should be above 18 years of age, should be a resident of Delhi with valid voter ID card as on the date of this cabinet decision.

The department of the women and child development will take necessary steps for smooth implementation of scheme including setting up of Project Management Unit. The IT department will develop a portal for receiving applications and disbursement of the money, said the above quoted official.

To be sure, the Delhi government’s finance department has stated that the implementation of the scheme would put extra burden over Delhi’s finances and may hamper capital expenditure on various developmental works.

Officials from Delhi’s finance department have estimated that there are around 3.8 million eligible women for the scheme and an annual allocation of ₹4,560 crore will be required. This would mean that the budget for subsidies will now be will be around 21% of the total expenditure, based on their initial estimates.

Kejriwal assured the public that financial constraints would not hinder its rollout, countering concerns reportedly raised by the finance department about budgetary implications.

“In the next two to three days, AAP workers will go from house to house, enrol you and give you registration cards. Keep the registration cards safe. After the election, the ₹1,000 per month scheme will be changed to ₹2,100 per month scheme, and you will get ₹2,100 per month,” Kejriwal said, standing beside chief minister Atishi.

Kejriwal said that the ₹1,000 scheme was unveiled in the annual budget speech earlier this year, but could not be implemented because he was incarcerated “in a fake case.”

“I had announced the scheme in March this year and hoped to implement it by April. But these people (BJP) put me in jail in a fake case,” Kejriwal said.

“This is not a favour to women. Women run families, raise children, and manage homes. Supporting them in this role is our privilege,” he said.

The announcement is widely seen as a bid to consolidate support among women, who make up roughly seven million of Delhi’s 15.3 million voters. Analysts suggest the timing may have been influenced by the success of similar welfare schemes in states like Maharashtra and Jharkhand, where ruling parties secured re-election by large margins.

He said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is raising questions about the funding of the scheme. “But they used to say the same thing when I contested the 2013 assembly election and promised to make electricity free… I want to tell the BJP leaders that I am a magician of accounts. I know where to save the money and where to get the money and where to spend it. You should not worry,” said Kejriwal.

Kejriwal urged voters to ensure a strong AAP mandate. “Help us secure over 60 seats so we can form a strong government,” he said.

Chief Minister Atishi echoed Kejriwal’s sentiments, calling the scheme a “guarantee” of his leadership. “Arvind Kejriwal ji had promised to implement the Mahila Samman Yojana to provide direct monetary assistance to every woman in Delhi. Today, the Delhi government has fulfilled this promise. Now, Arvind Kejriwal ji promises that once the government is formed, every woman in Delhi will receive a monthly honorarium of ₹2,100. This is Kejriwal’s guarantee, and its fulfilment is certain.”