AAP announces Rs. 1,000 monthly assistance to all Delhi women
The Delhi government on Monday announced the "Mukhyamantri Samman Yojna"—a scheme providing monthly assistance of Rs. 1,000 to all women over 18 years in the national capital. The AAP government has allocated Rs. 2,000 crore for the scheme, Delhi Finance Minister Atishi said on Monday while presenting the 2024-25 annual budget. She also stressed the significance of education and gender equality while citing various cases of discrimination against women in Delhi in the past.
Why does this story matter?
On Monday, Atishi presented the 10th budget under Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Budget Session of the Delhi Assembly commenced on February 15 and has been extended until Friday (March 8). This is the longest assembly session under the AAP government in Delhi. Notably, the Delhi Budget is being released just a few months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Who are excluded from scheme?
In her first budget address, Atishi said that every Delhi woman above 18 years will get Rs. 1,000 every month. She said it would help them meet many small expenses. Those excluded from the scheme include income tax payers, beneficiaries of any other government pension scheme, and government employees. "The Rs. 76,000 crore budget was themed on Ram Rajya, which seeks to improve the lives of the people of Delhi," Atishi added.
Education, health sector allocations in Delhi Budget
Announcing the allocation of Rs. 16,396 crore for education, Atishi highlighted the government's dedication to the sector. "The Kejriwal government has built 22,711 new classrooms since 2015. Education has been our government's priority," she said. Additionally, Rs. 8,685 crore was earmarked for Delhi's health sector with Rs. 6,215 crore going to government hospitals for infrastructure development. "Mohalla clinics" received Rs. 212 crore, while Rs. 658 crore was set aside for essential medicines and Rs. 400 crore for new hospitals' construction.
Delhi's contribution to national GDP
While announcing the budget for the health sector, Atishi compared former Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who is in jail, to Lord Hanuman for transforming Delhi's healthcare system. "Just as Lord Hanuman carried a mountain to deliver the Sanjeevani Booti to save the injured Lord Lakshman, [Jain] revived Delhi's healthcare system in the same way," she said. Atishi also added that despite comprising only 1.55% of the country's population, Delhi currently contributes 3.89% to the national gross domestic product (GDP).