When will women start getting ₹1,000 in their bank accounts? Delhi's Finance Minister Atishi answers...

Delhi Finance Minster Atishi Marlena presented the ₹ for the financial year 2024-25 on March 4, themed around the concept of “Ram Rajya."

Among other things, Atishi announced a new scheme, ‘ in the budget. Every woman above 18 years of age in Delhi will get ₹1,000 per month as per the scheme that has a budget allocation of ₹2,000 crore for FY 24-25.

The big budget announcement comes months ahead of the Lok Sabha 2024 polls. Delhi has over 67 Lakh women voters.

In an interview with LiveMint, Atishi said that the scheme could be rolled out only after the upcoming Lok Sabha 2024 elections, with the first instalment of money being sent out hopefully by October.

“The scheme will only be notified after Lok Sabha polls. It has to come before the cabinet. I think the notification will come in June-July. And we hope that by October first installment of money will be credited in the bank account of women," Atishi said.

A woman will be eligible for the scheme if she is a Delhi voter and is not availing benefits under any other government scheme. She should not be an income taxpayer, too. The Delhi government expects the scheme to benefit at least 50 lakh women in Delhi.

When asked where the money for the ambitious scheme will come from, the said the government has made all the calculations before announcing the scheme.

"You see's track record for the last years. We do not get any money from the Centre. We devolve money from our own revenue to MCD. Despite that, for the last nine years, we have been giving free electricity, free water, free bus rides for women, high-quality free education in government schools, free high-quality health care and yet we are the only fiscally surplus government in the entire country," she said adding,