Delhi to verify women eligibility for Rs 2,500 monthly aid via door-to-door checks

The Delhi government has announced plans to conduct random, door-to-door verification of women who have applied for the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, a scheme that provides monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500. The verification process is intended to ensure that only eligible beneficiaries receive the aid, officials said.

Under the scheme, which was a key promise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the 2025 Assembly elections, eligible women aged 21 to 60 years from families with an annual income of up to Rs 2.5 lakh can apply. Applicants must be residents of Delhi, registered voters, and not paying income tax. The scheme also includes a condition that applicants should not have more than three living children—a first-of-its-kind exclusion criterion for a social welfare scheme in the capital.

A senior government functionary, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Women and Child Development (WCD) department may engage a third-party agency to conduct the random checks. “The objective is to ensure that the scheme reaches the needy and deserving beneficiaries while maintaining transparency in the implementation process,” the functionary said.

When asked about the three-child cap, the functionary denied any religious angle, stating, “Some opposition parties are trying to give it a religious angle but they are wrong. Be it a Hindu or Muslim, it is one’s choice on how many children they want to have.” The functionary added that the cap could encourage family planning and population control, noting that in many lower-middle-class families, women are pressured to have multiple children until they have a boy.

The scheme offers beneficiaries two options: invest the full Rs 2,500 and receive a lump sum with interest after three years, or invest Rs 1,500 and spend the remainder through a digital card. The functionary said this gives women the right to decide how to use the money, preventing husbands from misusing it on alcohol or tobacco.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who also holds the WCD portfolio, has emphasised that the scheme should empower women and prioritise their health, according to officials. The scheme was approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday and will initially run for three years, with possible modifications thereafter. Registration begins on August 1 through a dedicated portal, and the first disbursement is scheduled for Raksha Bandhan.