Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal has announced that the Delhi Cabinet has approved a proposal to provide financial assistance to women who are more than 18 years of age. He also revealed that the amount, initially Rs 1,000 per month will be increased to Rs 2,100 if the AAP comes back to power in the upcoming Assembly polls.

Kejriwal explained that while the funds would not be directly credited into bank accounts yet due to the impending election announcements, registrations for the scheme, called the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana, would start the following day. “Registrations will begin tomorrow, and the amount will be Rs 2,100, not Rs 1,000,” Kejriwal said during the event, where he was accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi.

He added that the original promise of Rs 1,000 had been revised after feedback from women, many of whom said the amount was insufficient due to inflation. As a result, the cabinet, chaired by Atishi, approved the increase to Rs 2,100. The scheme is now officially launched.

Earlier this year, in March, the Kejriwal-led Delhi government had announced the Mukhyamantri Samman Yojana, which promised Rs 1,000 per month for women above 18 in Delhi. This scheme is similar to Madhya Pradesh’s Ladli Behna Yojana, under which women from lower- and middle-class families receive Rs 1,000 monthly.

Kejriwal expressed confidence that the scheme would prove beneficial for the Delhi government, claiming it would be widely appreciated by mothers and sisters who would benefit from the monthly payments. “Women shape the future of our country, and we are proud to support them in their work. Together with Delhi’s two crore population, we will overcome any obstacle. No challenge can stop us from doing good for the people of the city,” he said.

Kejriwal also criticized the BJP, noting that he had first announced the scheme in March and expected it to be implemented by May. “But they conspired against me and had me jailed in a fraud case. Since my release, I have worked alongside Atishi to ensure this scheme is carried out,” Kejriwal said, referring to his arrest in March by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.