CM Rekha Gupta responds to Opposition questions on Delhi Lakshmi Yojana in Assembly

New Delhi, 10 August 2026 : On the second day of the Monsoon Session of the Delhi Assembly on Monday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta gave a detailed response to various questions raised in the House about the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana. She said the scheme was among Delhi’s biggest welfare initiatives so far. Its objective is to financially empower women in Delhi who diligently shoulder the responsibilities of their families and homes, but whose work often goes unrecognised in economic terms.

CM expresses regret over Opposition members leaving the House

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said in the House that she regretted that those who were sitting on the Opposition benches and loudly claimed to be champions of Delhi’s women did not have the courage to stay back and hear the government’s response when the interests of those very women were being discussed. That was why they walked out of the House. She said she wanted every MLA who had raised an issue in the House to stay and hear the response. She had also openly challenged the Opposition MLAs to stay and listen to her reply if they had the courage. But, she said, they knew there was not the slightest truth in what they had said and therefore could not stay in the House to hear the response. The Chief Minister said she wanted to place this before the entire House today.

Delhi Lakshmi Yojana among Delhi’s biggest schemes so far

The Chief Minister said the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana was among Delhi’s biggest schemes so far. She asserted that no government, whether the government that was in power for 15 years or the one that governed Delhi for 11 years, had ever brought a scheme of this scale for the women of Delhi. She said the scheme was meant for women who spend the entire day working in their homes, but whose labour is not assigned any economic value and who have no independent financial power.

She said neither the Congress government nor the Aam Aadmi Party government had ever been concerned about such women or taken cognisance of their needs. There were many promises and big claims, she said, but not a single rupee was ever given to Delhi’s women under such a scheme. For the first time, a government had shown the courage to implement the scheme. The government had fulfilled the promise it made and translated its commitment into action. For this, a substantial amount of Rs 5,100 crore had been earmarked for the women of Delhi.

The Chief Minister said the scheme had set a target of 17 lakh women. These are women in Delhi who are genuinely in need and require this financial assistance. The scheme has initially been planned for three years so that the first 17 lakh women can benefit from it. If the scheme needs to be expanded later, she said, the government would have no hesitation in doing so.

CM clarifies three-child condition

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said some people had repeatedly claimed that the scheme had too many conditions and questioned how women in Delhi would be able to benefit from it. The condition related to three children was also being raised, with names sometimes being mentioned in this context. She clarified that if a family wanted to plan or expand its family, it was not required to seek anyone’s permission. Every family plans its family according to its own needs and circumstances.

The Chief Minister said her position was clear: no woman was merely a machine for giving birth to children. Women’s health was extremely important to the government. The Delhi government did not support the narrow mindset under which women are forced to keep expanding their families in the hope of having a son when a family does not have a male child.

Scheme designed after careful consideration

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also responded to questions being raised about the amount being provided through a digital wallet under the scheme. She said Rs 1,000 was being provided through the digital wallet, while Rs 1,500 would be deposited as savings in an FD/RD. This was a carefully considered policy so that women would have money available for household expenses and daily needs while Rs 1,500 would continue to accumulate as savings. When the amount is received as a lump sum after three years, it would be a substantial sum of around Rs 60,000, including interest. The Chief Minister said that when women receive a substantial lump sum in their hands, it would further strengthen them financially. At the same time, Rs 1,000 would remain available in the digital wallet. She said questions were being raised about how women in Delhi would use a digital wallet. Women in Delhi were women of the national capital, she said, and she was confident that they knew how to use digital currency and digital wallets.

CM responds to Opposition questions on pink cards for Delhi women

The Chief Minister also responded to questions raised by the Opposition about women from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states travelling in buses. She said pink cards were being made for the women of Delhi. She said people from the previous government used to live in Delhi while pursuing politics across the country and seeking power across the country. The present government did not work that way. Its clear view was that the money of the people of Delhi should be spent in Delhi and that its benefits should go to the people of Delhi. The money paid by Delhi’s taxpayers could not be spent elsewhere because the Delhi government was accountable to Delhi’s taxpayers.

Delhi Lakshmi Yojana receives unprecedented support

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the issue of forms and registrations for the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana was also discussed in the House. Giving the House an update on the scheme, she said 5,92,406 registrations had been completed so far. The portal was launched on August 1 and nearly 6 lakh registrations had been completed in just 10 days, by August 10. She said the figure reflected the enthusiasm and confidence among Delhi’s women towards the scheme. The government has currently set a limit of 17 lakh beneficiaries. The registration portal will not be closed until the stipulated amount has been provided to 17 lakh women under the scheme.

CM questions conduct of Opposition MLAs

The Chief Minister said that even when women come to the Assembly to get their applications signed, legislators should behave with dignity. Keeping the dignity of women in mind, MLAs should sit with propriety and decorum and treat women with respect. Pointing towards the members present in the House, she said such behaviour was unacceptable. Referring to a social media reel made by an MLA in the House, she said Delhi’s women were asking how such behaviour could be displayed. Such conduct in front of the women of Delhi was shameful, she said. Accusing the Opposition of looting thousands of crores of rupees from Delhi, the Chief Minister said that after spending Delhi’s money and the hard-earned money of its people, the same people were now seeking answers from the people of Delhi. She said the objectionable gestures being made inside the House were not befitting the conduct of an MLA.

CM questions Opposition on women’s dignity

The Chief Minister said Opposition members were speaking extensively about women’s safety and dignity today, but they should also answer questions about past cases involving members of their own political party. Referring to allegations, she said a case involving alleged misbehaviour by former minister Somnath Bharti with his wife had come to light. She also mentioned former MLAs Sharad Chauhan and Dinesh Mohaniya, saying that complaints and FIRs had also been registered against them in cases concerning women. If the Opposition was speaking about women’s dignity and safety today, she said, it should also answer questions on these cases. She questioned why they had suddenly remembered their concern for women despite such cases.

CM questions Punjab’s women’s welfare scheme

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta questioned the recent announcement in Punjab to provide financial assistance to women, saying Opposition members were claiming that the money had already been given even though the scheme was announced in July, just before the elections. She said the government had taken no step in this direction over the previous four years. She said the Hon’ble court had stayed the use of the funds and made it clear that the money belonged to the welfare fund for construction workers, and was not government money that could be used to make payments to women. She claimed that this was why the payments had been stopped and mothers and sisters were not receiving any amount under the scheme. Calling this a betrayal and deception of women, the Chief Minister said Delhi first and now Punjab were also being harmed by such policies. Punjab has a debt of around Rs 4 lakh crore, she said, and an attempt was being made to introduce the scheme before the elections by using funds from the welfare fund for construction workers.

Reference to Swati Maliwal and Atishi

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the Opposition spoke about women’s dignity but should also introspect on the treatment of women within its own political party. Referring to Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, she said she too had left the party. She also referred to former Delhi Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition Atishi and alleged that she had been prevented from attending the House, because of which she was unable to raise issues concerning Delhi despite being the Leader of Opposition.

The Chief Minister said that when ministers, MLAs and leaders who had served as Chief Minister from their party allegedly misbehaved with women, the Opposition had not raised its voice. Today, when 17 lakh women in Delhi were going to receive financial assistance of Rs 2,500, the same people were talking about injustice, she said. She challenged the Opposition MLAs that if they had an objection to the scheme, they should refuse to sign women’s applications and not allow any woman to benefit from it.

The Chief Minister assured the women of Delhi that no eligible woman would be deprived of the benefits of schemes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the Delhi government. The Delhi government was also running initiatives such as the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, Pink Card, Anmol Yojana, two free LPG cylinders and Vidya Vahini Yojana for women and girls. These initiatives aim to economically empower women, ensure their safety and dignity, and promote the education of girls.

CM objects to Opposition remarks on providing bicycles to girls

The Chief Minister strongly objected to alleged remarks by Opposition leaders about the scheme to provide bicycles to girls. She said she was ashamed of such thinking and words that sought to link providing bicycles to girls with election campaigning. Such leaders, she said, did not see the girls’ education, future and needs, but only election campaigning. She clarified that the objective of the bicycle scheme was to help girls reach school easily through Vidya Vahini, continue their education and reduce the dropout rate.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government had planned to provide bicycles to lakhs of girls, but the Opposition was unable to accept this achievement. She said the Opposition was actually troubled by the fact that the Delhi government was rapidly fulfilling its promises within around a year and a quarter of coming to power. The government had not left out a single promise, she said, and wanted to make this clear.

Commitment to empower every girl and make her self-reliant

The Chief Minister said the daughters of Delhi were a major responsibility for the government. The government wanted every girl to be empowered, strong and self-reliant, and to be able to live her dreams. With this objective, several schemes had been launched for girls so that every girl could become what she wanted to be, complete her education and proudly say, “First in My Bloodline.” Such moments were a matter of pride for the government, she said, because they showed that the daughters of Delhi were moving forward and becoming empowered.