Registration for Mahila Samman Rashi scheme to begin in a week: Delhi CM Atishi

New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Friday said registration of beneficiaries under the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Rashi will begin within a week and expressed hope that poor women in the national capital will get one or two instalments of Rs 1,000 a month till March 31.

Addressing media persons, CM Atishi said the decision approved by the Cabinet has also been notified and clarified that a provision of Rs 2,000 crore has been made in the Budget for the scheme.

She said registration for the scheme will definitely begin before elections but whether disbursal will take place before the elections will depend on the date of announcement of Assembly polls.

Hitting out attempts to block and play down the landmark initiative of the AAP government, CM Atishi said, "Our rivals have not spared any opportunity to block this welfare scheme of ours."

AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal was jailed due to which the scheme was delayed and could only be announced in December, she said.

"As things stand today, the promises made by the AAP government under the guidance of party convenor Kejriwal have been fulfilled and the registration for the scheme shall begin in a week or 10 days," she said.

Explaining that the scheme was open only to adult women from underprivileged sections, she said the scheme would not be open to serving or former permanent government employees, current or former elected representatives like MP, MLA or Councillor, the beneficiary of any other government pension scheme or an income tax payee.

"We have deliberately not kept any criterion of minimum family income for eligibility of beneficiaries, as women, even in families where the menfolk are earning, need personal financial independence," she said.

The Delhi Chief Minister said the scheme aimed to give some financial independence to jobless women or homemakers who would be able to spend the money on their small needs without needing to seek money from any family member.

Enlisting pro-women welfare schemes of the Delhi government, CM Atishi said the good quality schools and hospitals in the city had benefitted women the most.

"Rather than putting up with ailments, women are now using Mohalla Clinics for free treatment, girls are studying in good quality schools and women are using free travel in DTC buses to pursue education and jobs," she said.

Highlighting the gains from the scheme for free travel for women, CM Atishi said women undertook 40 crore trips on Delhi Transport Corporation buses in the last five years. "Almost 11 lakh women travel free daily in DTC buses," she said.

Had Arvind Kejriwal not been sent to jail, by now, women must have got a few instalments under the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Rashi scheme, she said.

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