Delhi Chief Minister Unveils Comprehensive Women Empowerment Package
In a significant move aimed at bolstering women's welfare across the capital, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta officially launched a suite of four key initiatives on Monday. The announcements were made during the Sashakt Nari, Samriddh Delhi program held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, with a clear focus on enhancing education, mobility, and domestic empowerment for female residents.
Four Pillars of Empowerment: Key Schemes Detailed
The newly introduced measures are designed to address multiple facets of women's lives through targeted support systems.
- Saheli Pink Smart Card: This innovative card will be integrated within the National Common Mobility Card framework, offering eligible women and transgender individuals free bus travel across Delhi. Additionally, it will facilitate paid journeys on the Metro and Regional Rapid Transit System via a single, touch-free smart card. Issuance will occur at approximately 50 District Magistrate/Sub-Divisional Magistrate offices and selected Delhi Transport Corporation centers, with eligibility verification through Aadhaar linkage to the beneficiary's mobile number.
- Free LPG Cylinder Scheme: Targeting domestic empowerment, this initiative provides two free LPG cylinders annually to ration card-holding families during the festivals of Holi and Diwali. The benefit will be delivered through Direct Benefit Transfer, with an amount equivalent to the current price of one cylinder deposited into the Aadhaar-linked bank account of the family head. Officials estimate that around 15.50 lakh families will benefit from this scheme.
- Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana: Focused on long-term financial security for daughters, this scheme involves depositing Rs 56,000 in the name of a girl child in installments. With accrued interest, the amount is projected to exceed Rs 1 lakh by the time the beneficiary reaches 21 years of age. Maturity benefits will be transferred directly to the Aadhaar-linked bank account upon meeting specific educational criteria.
- Meri Punji Mera Adhikaar: This measure ensures the timely and transparent disbursement of pending financial dues, reinforcing citizens' rights to their entitled funds.
Eligibility and Implementation Details
For the Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana, eligibility is restricted to families with an annual income not exceeding Rs 1.20 lakh, who have been residents of Delhi for the past three years, and where the girl child was born in the capital. Benefits are limited to two living girl children per family and extend to those pursuing graduate degrees or professional diplomas from recognized institutions.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta emphasized the holistic nature of these initiatives during her address. "This is an attempt to touch three critical aspects of life: education, mobility, and domestic empowerment. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the daughters of Delhi," she stated.
Gupta also highlighted proactive governance, noting, "When our government investigated, we discovered that funds allocated for the Ladli-Ladli scheme, intended for 1.75 lakh girls, were lying idle in government accounts. Consequently, in the initial phase, we identified 30,000 eligible girls and disbursed Rs 90 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer."
Regarding the Saheli Pink Smart Card, the Chief Minister expressed confidence that it would "prove to be a milestone in making public transport more accessible, safe, and digital for women in Delhi."
These schemes collectively represent a robust effort by the Delhi government to enhance socio-economic conditions for women, addressing both immediate needs like transportation and cooking fuel, and long-term goals such as financial independence and educational attainment.
