Delhi cabinet passes Mahila Samriddhi scheme; ‘Women staring at phones awaiting credit of ₹2,500’, jibes Atishi

Marking International Women’s Day, the Delhi cabinet on Saturday approved the Mahila Saman scheme, providing monthly assistance of ₹2,500 for the women in the national capital. However, the opposition, the Aam Aadmi Party took a jibe at the government and said women in the national capital are staring at their phones awaiting credit messages.

The Chief Minister Rekha Gupta-led cabinet met on Saturday and approved the monthly assistance scheme for women, one of the key poll promises of the Bharatiya Janata Party during the Delhi Assembly polls. The BJP had promised monthly assistance of ₹2,500 for women in the national capital if it comes to power. During one of the poll rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had even promised ₹2,500 would be credited to the account of women in the national capital on March 8, International Women’s Day.

AAP had been criticising the newly formed BJP government in the national capital over the promise and had even conducted protests inside the Delhi Assembly demanding the same. On Saturday, Opposition leader Atishi extended wishes to women in the national capital and said, “Today all the women of Delhi are staring at their phones waiting for the message of ₹ 2500 being deposited in the bank to come on their phone.”

The opposition leader even wrote to the Delhi chief minister on Friday, urging her to implement the monthly assistance scheme. In the letter, Atishi said women in Delhi are hoping that the first instalment will be credited to their accounts as assured by the BJP. “To give the women of Delhi their due, the funds should be transferred without delay. Every woman in the city is looking towards you with hope," she wrote.