Delhi HC questions MP/MLA endorsement requirement for Delhi Lakshmi Yojana benefits

New Delhi [India], August 19 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday questioned the Delhi government over the requirement for women to obtain an endorsement from their local MP or MLA to avail benefits under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana (DLY).
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said the scheme's eligibility criteria do not require an MP or MLA letter, but the documents listed for applying for the scheme appear to make such an endorsement necessary.
The Bench said making a woman's application dependent on the views of an MP or MLA may not be the appropriate way to determine her eligibility.
"There are better ways to identify eligibility," the Court said.
The Bench further observed that the government can ask for various documents to verify whether a woman meets the eligibility conditions. However, it said an applicant may not always be able to obtain an endorsement from an MP or MLA.
The Court noted that Clause 4 of the scheme, which sets out the eligibility criteria, does not require a letter from an MP or MLA.
The Court directed the Delhi government's counsel to obtain instructions on the issue and said it would hear the matter again next week.
The observations came during the hearing of a PIL filed by Abhishek Dutt and Vedpal Sheetal Chaudhary challenging several conditions of the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana. The petitioners have specifically challenged the requirement of obtaining an endorsement from the local MP or MLA.
The Delhi Lakshmi Yojana provides financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per month to eligible women in Delhi. According to the petition, the scheme was earlier known as the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana and was approved by the Delhi Cabinet in March 2025 with an allocation of 5,100 crore.
The petitioners have claimed that the original Cabinet decision did not provide for a mandatory MP/MLA endorsement. They have also challenged other conditions, including the requirement of 10 years' continuous residence in Delhi, restrictions based on the number of children in a family, electricity consumption, the benefit being limited to the eldest eligible woman in a household, and disqualification based on criminal antecedents.
The online registration for the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana began on August 1. The petitioners have claimed that the mandatory endorsement requirement is causing difficulty for women seeking to register for the scheme. (ANI)