2.65 Lakh Women Register for Delhi Lakshmi Yojana

"Going beyond direct financial support, the scheme aims to connect women with savings, digital financial inclusion, social security and long-term financial stability, making it an innovative model in the country," Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said.

The scheme will initially be implemented for a period of three years and is expected to benefit nearly 17 lakh women.

The Chief Minister had officially launched the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana on Saturday and also inaugurated the scheme's online registration portal, www.dly.delhi.gov.in.

Within 12 hours of the portal going live, 33,730-plus registrations were done by city women.

During this period, 1,940 final applications were submitted, an official said.

The Chief Minister said the Delhi Cabinet had originally approved the scheme as the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana, but it was later renamed Delhi Lakshmi Yojana to better reflect the broader vision of women's dignity, prosperity and economic empowerment.

She added that the scheme has been designed differently from conventional cash assistance programmes.

Beneficiaries will be able to choose between two financial options based on their individual needs, the Chief Minister said.

"Under the first option, Rs 1,000 every month will be credited to a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) wallet for meeting day-to-day expenses, while the remaining Rs 1,500 will be deposited in an RD/FD account," she added.

"Under the second option, the entire Rs 2,500 will be deposited in an RD/FD every month, allowing beneficiaries to build substantial savings over time along with interest. In this way, the scheme seeks to provide immediate financial assistance as well as long-term financial security," she said.

The Chief Minister added that a digital negative list will be implemented for the CBDC wallet to ensure that government assistance is used only for essential household needs.

"The amount credited to the wallet cannot be spent on alcohol, tobacco, narcotic substances, lottery tickets, gambling, betting or any other goods and services prohibited by the government from time to time. This will ensure that the financial assistance is utilised for the welfare of families," the Chief Minister said.