Explain need for MP/MLA letter to avail Lakshmi Yojana benefits, Delhi govt told

The high court observed that it is a government scheme and not an MP or MLA scheme.

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Delhi government to file an affidavit within 10 days explaining the objective behind requiring women availing Delhi Lakshmi Yojana to obtain an endorsement letter from MP or MLA.

The petition argued that this effectively creates a system of political gatekeeping, disadvantaging women who lack political access or connections. (PTI file)

Describing the requirement as arbitrary, the bench of chief justice DK Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia observed that it is a government scheme and not an MP or MLA scheme.

Delhi Lakshmi Yojana was notified in the city on August 6, wherein eligible women will receive ₹2,500 assistance from the government every month. One of the several requirements to register eligibility for the aid is to get a letter signed by the MP or MLA of the respective constituency the women reside in.

The bench said that if the objective was to ensure that only identifiable and eligible persons received the benefit, there were several other ways to verify the same.

The court said that the government could not “simply invoke its wisdom to justify the decision”, observing that every governmental action had to be tested for its compliance with the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

“What is the rationale? It’s not an MP scheme, it’s a government scheme. The policy is arbitrary. What is the object thus you are going to achieve by this? What is the rationale you intend to achieve? If the purpose is no persona non grata has to have the benefit, there are so many means to ascertain this,” the bench said.

It added, “You can’t go away by saying it’s wisdom of the govt. Every decision should undergo the test of Part III (of the Constitution). One of the grounds to test the decision is the object you want to achieve. Let a short affidavit be filed by the government stating the rationale of seeking endorsement for the purposes of making application for seeking benefit under Delhi Lakshmi Yojana. The affidavit shall be filed in 10 days.”

The court issued the direction, in a petition filed by Abhishekh Dutt and Vedpal Sheetal Chaudhary, former councillors challenging conditions for availing the benefit. The petition said that similar schemes were being implemented by other states, none of them imposed such a requirement.

The court direction came after Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, appearing for Delhi government, submitted that the endorsement requirement was intended to ensure that the scheme’s benefits were availed only by identifiable eligible individuals. He further informed the court that more than 600,000 beneficiaries had already registered for the scheme.

The petition argued that this effectively creates a system of political gatekeeping, disadvantaging women who lack political access or connections.

The scheme’s three-child eligibility condition infringes upon reproductive autonomy and personal dignity, the petition stated, and argued that the 10-year residency requirement operates harshly against women from economically weaker sections, particularly those who migrate to Delhi in search of work and consequently live in rented accommodations.

According to information shared by the Chief Minister’s Office, an event will be held at Talkatora Stadium on August 26 to mark the commencement of distribution of benefit letters.

The matter would be next heard on September 17.