The amendments made by the Haryana’s Bharatiya Janata Party government to its monthly financial aid scheme for the women, “Deen Dayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana”, further extending it to women with annual income limit up to ₹1.80 lakh, but with additional criteria of academic excellence and the health of their children, has drawn sharp criticism from the Opposition for “imposing conditions after conditions” instead of offering it to all women as promised in the party’s manifesto.
Besides the women with annual income of less than ₹1 lakh currently being given ₹2,100 per month under the scheme, the Haryana government has now brought more beneficiaries under its preview integrating social development-linked eligibility criteria with the income-based eligibility. For the increased limit, only those women whose children studying in government schools have demonstrated academic excellence by securing more than 80% marks in Class 10 or 12 board examinations, or have achieved grade-level competency under the NIPUN Bharat Mission in Classes 1 to 4, will be considered eligible.
Similarly, mothers who have successfully rehabilitated their children from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) or Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), as verified by the Women and Child Development Department, will also be covered under the scheme. Existing criteria related to age and domicile will continue unchanged.
