President Droupadi Murmu along with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday launched a slew of women-centric welfare initiatives of the Delhi government
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NEW DELHI — President Droupadi Murmu along with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday launched a slew of women-centric welfare initiatives of the Delhi government, including the 'Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana’, the ‘Meri Poonji, Mera Adhikar’ scheme with a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the tune of INR 100 crore for over 40,000 girls, and the ‘Saheli Pink Smart Card’ offering free bus travel for women in the national Capital.
The launch event, held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, was attended by Chief Minister Gupta, Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, Union Minister Harsh Malhotra, Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and MLA Pankaj Singh.
Under the ‘Meri Poonji, Mera Adhikar’ initiative, money to the tune of INR 100 crore was transferred directly into the bank accounts of 40,642 girls in Delhi, marking one of the largest DBT rollouts for girl beneficiaries in the city. The programme is part of the expanded and restructured ‘Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana’, which replaces and strengthens the earlier Ladli Scheme.
Addressing the gathering, President Murmu expressed confidence that the newly-launched schemes would significantly empower women and girls in Delhi.
“I am confident that all these newly-launched schemes will empower the sisters and daughters of Delhi and make a significant contribution towards building a prosperous Delhi. I congratulate Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her entire team for initiating these efforts,” she said.
Chief Minister Gupta described the day as historic, saying the initiatives would be remembered for generations.
“Today is a very historic day, and the coming generations will always remember this historic day. Today’s platform is a platform of trust. It is a celebration of honouring the entire journey of a daughter, from her birth to becoming self-reliant,” she said.
Referring to the broader vision behind the schemes, Gupta said, “The Prime Minister had given the mantra of Nari Shakti Vandan to the nation and had said that the foundation of a Viksit Bharat would be strengthened only through women’s empowerment. That was a direction which the Delhi government adopted, and we have taken a strong step forward in that direction.”
The Chief Minister said the revamped ‘Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana’ significantly enhances the financial assistance provided under the previous Ladli Scheme. Earlier, INR 11,000 was deposited in the name of each eligible girl child in case of institutional birth and INR 10,000 in case of home birth. In addition, INR 5,000 was deposited at key educational milestones — admission to Classes 1, 6 and 9, passing Class 10, and admission to Class 12.
Under the new structure, both the financial support and the overall vision have been substantially expanded, with the aim of ensuring that beneficiary girls accumulate meaningful savings by the time they reach adulthood.
The scheme will benefit families with an annual income of up to INR 1.20 lakh who have been residing in Delhi for at least three years. The girl child must have been born in Delhi to qualify.
The Delhi government also unveiled the ‘Saheli Pink Smart Card’, which will provide free bus travel to women across the national Capital, strengthening mobility and access to education and employment opportunities. The move is expected to further support women’s participation in the workforce and public life.
Officials said the initiatives, along with other welfare measures such as the free gas cylinder scheme during Holi and Diwali, reflect the government’s focus on social security and financial empowerment of women and girls.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the scheme draws inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of placing daughters at the centre of nation-building through education, dignity and self-reliance, adding that the Delhi government is committed to turning that vision into reality.