President of India, Droupadi Murmu, on Monday unveiled four welfare schemes aimed at empowering women and girls in Delhi. The schemes were launched at the ‘Sashakt Nari, Samriddh Delhi’ event held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
The schemes she launched were the Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana, the free LPG cylinder scheme for Holi and Diwali, and the Saheli Pink Smart Card. President Murmu also transferred over Rs 100 crore directly into the bank accounts of 40,642 beneficiaries under the Ladli scheme through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Cabinet Ministers Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh and thousands of women beneficiaries were present at the event.
Addressing the gathering, President Murmu said that schemes such as ‘Meri Poonji, Mera Adhikar’, Saheli Smart Card and Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana are important steps towards making women self-reliant. She expressed confidence that these initiatives would bring positive change in the lives of women and contribute to building a prosperous Delhi.
She recalled the contributions of great women like Ahilyabai Holkar, Rani Lakshmibai, Savitribai Phule, Rani Gaidinliu and Sarojini Naidu, saying Indian tradition respects women as symbols of power, knowledge and prosperity. The President said true empowerment is possible only when women have equal rights, access to education, safety and the freedom to take decisions.
She stressed that women’s empowerment is not just the government’s responsibility but a duty of society as a whole. Referring to the goal of making India a developed nation by 2047, she said this target cannot be achieved without empowering half the population.
Lieutenant Governor Saxena termed the launch a major milestone for women empowerment in Delhi. He said the schemes would directly benefit lakhs of women and strengthen their families as well. He added that empowerment includes not only economic support but also safety, equal opportunity and dignity.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta described the occasion as a historic moment in Delhi’s history. She said the four schemes are designed to support women from birth to higher education, safe mobility, and household relief.
She said under ‘Meri Poonji, Mera Adhikar’, long-pending Ladli scheme benefits were cleared through a special drive. In the first phase, around 30,000 girls received Rs 90 crore, and on Monday, over 40,000 girls received more than Rs 100 crore directly in their bank accounts.
Saheli Pink Smart Card (NCMC)
The National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), known as the Pink Card, for eligible women residents of Delhi, will allow free travel in DTC buses, while paid travel can be done on Metro, RRTS, and other public transport using the same card.
Three types of cards will be issued Pink for women, Blue for general passengers and Orange for monthly pass holders. In the first phase, Pink and Blue cards will be rolled out. The Pink Card will be issued free of cost and linked to Aadhaar and mobile numbers to prevent duplication.
Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana
The Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana replaces the earlier Ladli scheme with a modern, digital and incentive-based structure. Under the scheme, the government will deposit a total of Rs 61,000 in stages in the name of each eligible girl child from birth till graduation. With interest, the amount is expected to grow to over Rs 1 lakh by the time she turns 21, subject to fulfilling education-related conditions.
The scheme will be implemented through a fully digital and faceless system with an end-to-end online portal.
Meri Poonji, Mera Adhikar – Ladli DBT Transfer
Under this initiative, Rs 100.25 crore was transferred directly to 40,642 beneficiaries of the Delhi Ladli scheme. The scheme, launched in 2008, aims to promote the birth and education of girl children. The maturity amount, along with interest, was credited directly to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts to ensure transparency.
Free LPG Cylinder Scheme
The President also launched a scheme to provide financial assistance equivalent to the cost of two LPG cylinders per year to ration card holder families on the occasions of Holi and Diwali. On the occasion of Holi, Rs 853 – the cost of one LPG cylinder – was also transferred directly to the bank accounts of eligible families through DBT. The scheme is expected to benefit all ration card holder families in Delhi from 2026 onwards, with an estimated annual expenditure of around Rs 242.77 crore.
(With inputs from UNI)