BJP's Rs 2,500 aid scheme in Delhi faces financial hurdles

The BJP's proposed Rs 2,500 per month could significantly increase costs if no exclusions, such as income limits, are implemented

- SURUCHI KUMARI

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has reiterated her government's commitment to implementing the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) promise of ₹2,500 monthly financial assistance for women, as outlined in their Sankalp Patra manifesto. The first installment is expected by March 8, coinciding with International Women's Day.

However, questions loom over the financial feasibility of this initiative. Last year, the Finance Department projected that the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) plan to provide ₹1,000 per month to women would cost approximately ₹4,560 crore annually, or 6 per cent of Delhi's 2024-25 budget of ₹76,000 crore. That proposal was estimated to benefit 38 lakh women.