NEW DELHI-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Monday called out the BJP Government in Delhi for imposing restrictive conditions under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana to limit the number of women eligible for its benefits. Comparing the scheme with Punjab's Maawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana, he said the AAP Government in Punjab had imposed no such conditions, while the Rekha Gupta Government had made a 10 year residency requirement and approval from an MP or MLA mandatory for applicants.
The AAP Chief pointed out that if the BJP Government's intentions were genuine, it would have extended the scheme's benefits to all eligible women instead of imposing stringent eligibility conditions.
Responding to a question on the arbitrary eligibility conditions under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana and the requirement for approval from MPs or MLAs, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said, "It is absolutely clear that they want to extend this benefit only to BJP supporters and do not want others to receive it. The conditions they have imposed, including the requirement of 10 years' residence and approval from an MP or MLA, show that their intention is not to provide the benefit but merely to play politics."
He added, "With the number of conditions they have imposed, not even 10% of Delhi's women will be able to avail of the scheme. In Punjab, we did not impose any such conditions. If there are 4 women in a household, all 4 receive the benefit. We made no distinction between the rich and the poor or on the basis of caste. Just as we are extending the benefit to everyone in Punjab with a clear and honest intent, they should do the same in Delhi if their intentions are genuine.”