Women empowerment: Delhi budget focuses on skill development, financial stability

Delhi's budget allocates ₹7,406 crore for women's safety and welfare, introducing schemes for entrepreneurs, e-auto permits

NEW DELHI:

The government has earmarked ₹5,110 crore for the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana to provide ₹2,500 per month to women. (Representative photo)

The Delhi government on Tuesday allocated ₹7,406 crore to the women and child development department for 2026-27, with a focus on women’s safety, financial assistance, skill development and welfare measures for women and transgender persons.

Presenting the budget, chief minister Rekha Gupta announced a range of schemes, including support for women entrepreneurs, e-auto permits for women and transgender persons, and sanitary pad vending machines in government schools.

Out of the ₹10,537 crore allocated for the social security and welfare sector, ₹227 crore has been set aside for the welfare of SC/ST/OBC communities.

The department has earmarked the largest share of its budget, ₹5,110 crore, for the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana. Gupta had promised to provide ₹2,500 per month to women ahead of the 2025 Delhi assembly elections. In the previous budget, more than ₹5,000 crore had been set aside for the scheme, but the amount was not disbursed.

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Gupta announced ₹10 crore for the Rani Haat initiative, which aims to create dedicated spaces for women entrepreneurs to connect with buyers. “I believe that when skill connects with the market, self-reliance is born. Rani Haat outlets will be established as a bridge to connect women’s skills with the market. An allocation of ₹10 crore has been made for this. Efforts will also be made to empower self help groups (SHGs),” she said.

Under the newly announced DURGA scheme, or Driving Upliftment and Rozgar for Women/Transgender Green e-Auto, the government will support 1,000 women and 100 transgender persons in obtaining e-auto permits in its first phase. “Our government proposes to start the ‘DURGA’ scheme to make women and transgenders self-reliant,” she said.

Among other allocations, the government has set aside ₹260 crore to provide free LPG cylinders to women during Holi and Diwali, while ₹450 crore has been allocated to continue free travel services for women and transgender persons in DTC buses.

The government has also proposed ₹128 crore for the Delhi Lakhpati Betiya Yojana. Calling it “one of the most ambitious schemes”, Gupta said that financial deposits totalling ₹61,000 will be made in a girl child’s account from birth until graduation, which will grow up to ₹1.2 lakh at maturity.

To improve women’s safety, the budget allocates ₹225 crore for maintenance of existing CCTV cameras and installation of 50,000 new ones, and ₹50 crore for replacing conventional streetlights with smart LED systems on PWD roads. “To make Delhi safer for women, we aim to eliminate dark spots. The previous government, with half-hearted effort, simply installed some cameras. But what about maintenance?” she said.

The chief minister also announced model anganwadi centres in every district, with ₹33 crore allocated for the project. Another ₹16 crore has been provided for 11 new one-stop centres for women in distress.

The government has proposed ₹10 crore under Samarth Palana to upgrade 611 crèches, ₹18 crore for an integrated facility for children in correctional homes in Alipur, and ₹3.5 crore for aftercare support to children leaving childcare institutions, including livelihood, higher and technical education, and skill development.

Gupta added that sanitary pad vending machines will also be installed in government schools.

In 2025-26, no separate allocation was made for the department, which was clubbed under a ₹10,047 crore umbrella for social welfare, women and child development, and SC/ST departments.