Delhi High Court Questions Mandatory MP/MLA Endorsement for Lakshmi Yojana

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday questioned the Delhi government's decision to require an endorsement from the local Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) for women seeking benefits under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana. The scheme provides monthly financial assistance of ₹2,500 to eligible women.

A bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said the requirement could not be justified when eligibility could be verified through other documents. The court directed the government counsel to seek instructions on the issue and listed the matter for further hearing on August 24.

"Seek instructions. We can't approve of it," the bench told the government counsel during the proceedings.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by former Congress councillor Abhishek Dutt and sitting councillor Vedpal Sheetal Chaudhary, who have challenged the mandatory endorsement requirement.

The bench noted that the scheme specifies detailed eligibility conditions but does not mention any requirement for a legislator's endorsement. "Why are you asking them to approach the MLA or the MP?" the court asked.

"We are of a prima facie view that in assessing as to whether a woman fulfils the criteria, various documents can be asked for. It is possible that a woman may or may not get the endorsement of the MP/MLA of her constituency. In any case, the scheme does not mention any requirement of an endorsement letter," the court observed.

The petitioners argued that making a recommendation or endorsement from the local MP or MLA mandatory gives political representatives "unbridled discretion" and effectively turns a welfare entitlement into an instrument of political patronage. According to the PIL, the scheme's online registration portal, launched on August 1, makes the submission of such an endorsement a compulsory requirement for registration.

The plea also highlighted the lack of a grievance redressal mechanism for applicants if an MP or MLA declines to provide the endorsement. This, the petitioners said, leaves eligible women with no recourse and makes their access to the scheme dependent on the whims of individual politicians.

Apart from challenging the endorsement requirement, the petition seeks directions for the formulation of objective, transparent and non-arbitrary guidelines for verifying eligibility and disbursing financial assistance under the scheme, without political interference or unguided executive discretion.

Under the scheme, women aged between 21 and 60 years with an annual family income of up to ₹2.5 lakh are eligible to apply. However, the scheme excludes women already receiving benefits under another financial assistance scheme or pension, income-tax payers and government employees. Families with more than three living children, annual electricity consumption above 2,400 units, ownership of a four-wheeler, or a member in government service are also excluded. Families with a member facing a criminal case are similarly ineligible.

The guidelines further provide that the eldest eligible woman in a family can apply. The applicant, or her parents or husband, must have been residents of Delhi for at least 10 years, and the beneficiary must be a registered voter in the national capital.

The court's next hearing is scheduled for August 24. Until then, the government is expected to respond to the court's queries and clarify its position on the endorsement requirement.