New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) In a major step towards the financial empowerment of women, the Delhi government officially renamed its flagship Mahila Samriddhi Yojana as the ‘Delhi Lakshmi Yojana’, with plans to launch it around Raksha Bandhan next month, an official said on Monday.

Under the scheme, eligible women aged 21 to 60 will receive financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per month. The government has set a target to launch this ambitious scheme around Raksha Bandhan next month, the official said.

To ensure the scheme is implemented effectively and on schedule, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta chaired a review meeting at the Delhi Secretariat on Monday.

Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma and senior officials from the concerned departments attended the meeting.

The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that the benefits reach all eligible women in a transparent, simple and time-bound manner, without any administrative hurdles in its implementation.

Chief Minister Gupta said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, women’s empowerment has become not just a social commitment but a cornerstone of a developed India.

She said the Prime Minister has consistently viewed women-led development as the most effective driver of the country’s progress.

Building on that vision, the Delhi government is providing women in the capital with a strong foundation for financial empowerment, self-reliance, and a life of dignity through the ‘Delhi Lakshmi Yojana’.

She said the government believes that when a woman in a household becomes financially secure, it accelerates progress for the family, society, and the nation alike.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister also instructed officials to ensure strict adherence to all the scheme’s guidelines so that only genuine beneficiaries receive its benefits.

She said the government’s objective is to implement the scheme with complete transparency and accountability.

The meeting on Monday saw a detailed discussion on the scheme’s eligibility criteria. It was decided that only those women who have been residents of Delhi for at least 10 years, or whose families have been, will be eligible.

Neither the beneficiary nor her family should have any criminal record. Within a family, only the eldest eligible woman will qualify for the scheme, and only one woman from each family will be entitled to receive the benefit.

In addition, the family’s annual income must not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh. Women who are already receiving benefits under any government pension or other regular financial assistance scheme will not be eligible. Similarly, women from families that own a four-wheeler will also not qualify for the scheme, said the statement.

The Delhi Government estimates that this ambitious initiative will directly benefit lakhs of women across the capital, she said.

–IANS

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