WOMEN WHOSE household income is less than Rs 3 lakh per year, and those who do not pay tax will be eligible for the Rs 2,500 grant from the Delhi government, The Indian Express has learnt.
Only those aged between 18 and 60, who do not hold government jobs and are not receiving any other government financial assistance, will get the grant under the BJP government’s Mahila Samriddhi Scheme, officials said.
The scheme was one of the top poll promises made by the BJP in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised that it will be implemented by March 8, International Women’s Day.
According to sources, the government has estimated that around 15-20 lakh women will meet the criteria.
“Several rounds of meetings have taken place to finalise the modalities of the scheme. The Cabinet note will be ready by tomorrow, following which it will be put up for approval from the Council of Ministers. The scheme was among those taken up in the first Cabinet meeting held by the newly elected CM and the Council of Ministers,” an official said.
The Indian Express has also learnt that the Delhi government is developing an online portal through which the registration for the scheme will be done.
“A separate software is also being developed along with this portal by the IT department through which verification of all forms will be done to identify the eligible women… For the identification of women, the government has sought data from different departments,” sources said.
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A senior official said that the government has sought data from the office of Delhi Chief Electoral Officer to get the total number of women in Delhi, based on the latest electoral list.
“As per the voter list, over 72 lakh women are registered voters in Delhi and 50 percent cast their vote. We estimate that around 20 lakh women will meet the eligibility criteria… The government’s aim is to provide this scheme to deserving women,” a source said.
Officials said the government has also turned to the Food and Civil Supplies Department for access to data on women residents below the poverty line in the city.
“The government is also exploring the possibility to seek data from the Income Tax department and link it with the portal, to check if the candidates applying for the scheme are taxpayers… Similarly, the BPL data will also be integrated in the portal… After the modules are set, eligibility criteria is set, these data sets will be integrated with the portal,” a source said.
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The portal will also link applications to Aadhaar cards. “The form will have name, location, address and bank account linked with the Aadhaar card, along with details of family members… When a candidate will fill in the details, the portal will verify and check if the candidate is eligible, if she is a taxpayer or is availing any government scheme such as widow pension and old age pension, and if any duplicate is found, the form will be rejected,” sources said.
Women above 60 years old are eligible to get the old age pension.
“As it will be linked with the Aadhaar card, the portal will easily detect the age of the candidates. For instance, if a candidate is aged above 60, the portal will not accept the form because the government already provides financial assistance to senior citizens aged above 60 years,” an official said.
Officials had last year suggested a family income cap of Rs 3 lakh but the then AAP government did not accept it.
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“The previous government had set aside Rs 1,000 crore for its own Rs 1,000 per month grant, so there will be no issue until March 31… From the next financial year, the budget will be increased for the scheme and till then, the registration and eligible candidates will also be identified,” sources said.
The Chief Secretary also held a meeting with all the department officials concerned regarding the arrangement for celebrating the International Women’s Day on March 8, when the scheme is likely to be launched.
“The scheme will be launched and the registration process will begin. They also plan to give the money to some eligible women on March 8, during the launch and then with the registration, more eligible candidates will avail the benefit,” an official said.
The event to start registration is likely to be held at the Chhatrasal stadium in North Delhi. The Chief Minister and all ministers will attend.
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Meanwhile, intensifying its pressure on the government, the AAP staged demonstrations at ITO and various flyovers on Wednesday. They held banners which read: “Bas 3 din aur, har mahila ko har mahina Rs 2,500.” The party also put posters at several locations across the city.
Hitting back, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said: “We don’t need anyone to remind us how many days are remaining or dictate how we do our work. We will work as per our agenda and fulfil our promises.”
She also held a series of meetings with women’s organisations on Wednesday. “All the promises made in the Sankalp Patra will be fulfilled with full promptness and honesty,” she said.