Women with a household income of less than ₹3 lakh per year and those who don’t have to pay taxes will be eligible for a ₹2,500 grant from the Delhi government, according to The Indian Express. Officials stated that the grant under the BJP government’s Mahila Samriddhi Scheme will be available only to women aged 18 to 60 who do not have any government jobs and are not receiving any other financial assistance from the government. The scheme was a key promise made by the BJP during the Delhi Assembly election campaign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured that it would be enforced by March 8, International Women’s Day. Sources estimate that around 15-20 lakh women will qualify for the scheme.

“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,” as per an official.

The Indian Express has discovered that the Delhi government is creating an online portal for scheme registration. “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,” according to a source.

A senior official stated that the government has requested data from the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer’s office to determine the total number of women in the city based on the latest voter list.

“As per the voter list, over 72 lakh women are registered voters in Delhi, and 50 per cent 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 informed.

Officials stated that the government had sought data from the Food and Civil Supplies Department on women citizens living below the poverty line in Delhi.

“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 stated. The portal will also connect applications with 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 conveyed.

Women over the age of 60 qualify for 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 informed.

Last year, officials proposed a family income cap of ₹3 lakh, but the AAP government did not approve it. “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,” as per the sources.

The Chief Secretary also met with relevant department officials to discuss preparations for celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8, when the scheme is expected 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 stated.

The registration event is expected to occur at Chhatrasal Stadium in North Delhi, with the Chief Minister and all ministers in attendance. Stepping up its pressure on the government, the AAP staged demonstrations on Wednesday at ITO and several flyovers. Protesters held banners that read, "Bas 3 din aur, har mahila ko har mahina Rs 2,500." The party also put up posters at different locations in the city.

Responding sharply, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated, "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." On Wednesday, she also held several meetings with women’s organisations. Emphasising her commitment, she said, "All the promises made in the Sankalp Patra will be fulfilled with full promptness and honesty."