Delhi CM Defends Welfare Scheme, Says Women Aren't 'Birth Machines'

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta strongly defended the government's new Lakshmi Yojana, a significant welfare initiative providing ₹2,500 monthly to eligible women. She asserted that women are not merely "machines for giving birth to children" and that their health and financial empowerment are paramount.

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Women aren’t birth machines.

Gupta directly addressed criticisms from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which questioned the scheme's conditions. Specifically, the AAP pointed to the exclusion of women with more than three children and the requirement for a 10-year Delhi residency as limiting the program's impact. AAP leader Gopal Rai also cited a tedious registration process.

Responding to the AAP's concerns, Gupta stated that family planning is a personal choice and that repeatedly having children in pursuit of a male heir compromises women's health. She also accused previous Congress and AAP governments of failing to implement comparable welfare programs. The Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, allocated ₹5,100 crore, aims to benefit approximately 1.7 million women, with a portion of the monthly payment saved for accumulation over three years.

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The scheme’s impact would be limited by a condition excluding women with more than three children.

Despite the CM's defense, the scheme has several exclusion criteria beyond the number of children. These include women already receiving other government aid, income-tax payers, GST return filers, government employees, families with government-employed members, those owning a four-wheeler, high electricity consumers, and women with criminal records. Over 592,000 registrations were completed by August 1.

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Family planning was a personal choice and did not require anyone’s permission.