Kejriwal announces around $12 monthly aid for eligible women under Delhi govt’s ‘Mahila Samman Yojana’

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal announced on Thursday (Dec. 12) that the ‘Mahila Samman Yojana’ has been approved by the Delhi government. Under the scheme, which is aimed at women’s empowerment, eligible women in the national capital will be granted a monthly financial aid of Rs 1,000 ($12).

Kejriwal also said that while the current amount is set at Rs 1,000 ($12), it will be increased to Rs 2,100 ($25) if the AAP wins the upcoming Delhi assembly elections that are likely to be held in February next year. The present assembly’s tenure will end on February 23, 2025.

“I had promised ₹1,000 ($12) per month for women of Delhi. And I am happy to announce that CM Atishi’s cabinet has approved this scheme today. Now women can register and avail this scheme,” Kejriwal said.

AAP is aiming to retain a third tenure in Delhi after securing two electoral wins in a row. In the 70-member assembly, the party secured a majority after claiming 67 seats in 2015 and 63 seats in 2020.

AAP previously announced the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana’ in the 2024-25 budget, promising Rs 1,000 ($12) monthly aid for all eligible women in Delhi. A Rs 2,000 crore ($235K) allocation was also made by the government for the scheme by the government. However, due to the budget constraints raised by the Finance Department, the scheme faced a bureaucratic logjam, according to reports.

“I wanted to roll out this scheme earlier. But they put me in jail,” Kejriwal said

This comes as Delhi prepares for another electoral battle, as the recent announcement highlights AAP’s focus on women empowerment and welfare schemes to gain support from voters.

(With inputs from agencies)