AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal with CM Atishi and former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia at a press conference.
| Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the registration for the Delhi government’s flagship Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana to provide monthly assistance of ₹1,000 to women aged 18 and above will start on Monday.
The former Delhi Chief Minister said AAP workers will also start collecting names of the elderly aged above 60 for the Sanjeevani Yojana promised by him earlier this week.
The BJP — which is the main Opposition party in Delhi — accused Mr. Kejriwal of “selling false dreams” ahead of the Assembly poll due in February, with party’s New Delhi Lok Sabha MP Bansuri Swaraj alleging that he has “no intention of fulfilling the promises”.
The Delhi government had announced the women aid scheme in its budget for 2024-25 when Mr. Kejriwal was the Delhi CM.
Current Chief Minister Atishi earlier this month had promised to roll out the plan by December-end after Mr. Kejriwal promised to hike the monthly stipend to ₹2,100 if voted to power again in the Assembly poll.
On December 18, Mr. Kejriwal promised free treatment for senior citizens at all government and private hospitals of Delhi under the Sanjeevani Yojana on retaining power in the poll.
Flanked by Ms. Atishi and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Mr. Kejriwal on Sunday said AAP workers will be visiting Delhi homes to “register people” for both plans and hand over “Kejriwal Kavach registration cards”.
‘Over 50 lakh to benefit’
“I believe that around 35 to 40 lakh women will benefit from the Mahila Samman Yojana. Similarly, I estimate that around 10 to 15 lakh senior citizens would benefit from the Sanjeevani Yojana,” he said.
He asked people to keep their voter cards ready for the registration as they need to be “voters of Delhi to benefit from the schemes”.
The former CM also reiterated his party’s allegation that the BJP is conspiring for the mass deletion of voters in AAP strongholds by submitting bulk applications to the election authorities for the removal of people’s names from electoral rolls.
“These people [BJP] don’t want you to benefit from these schemes. If your vote is deleted, let our team know, and we will get it reinstated,” Mr. Kejriwal said.
‘Govt. finances in mess’
Reacting to the announcements, Ms. Swaraj questioned how AAP is planning to fund the two schemes as the Delhi government is “currently running a deficit of ₹7,000 crore”.
“This Sanjeevani scheme is merely an illusion and a ploy to build a vote bank. The promise to transfer money to women’s accounts was made by AAP in Punjab in 2022 and ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election but women are yet to receive a single rupee,” she said.
Published – December 23, 2024 12:49 am IST