CM Rekha Gupta launches ‘Delhi LakhpatiBitiya Yojana’ to fund girls’ education

New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced the launch of the ‘Delhi LakhpatiBitiya Yojana’, upgrading and restructuring the Ladli Scheme of 2008 after over a decade and a half, to ensure financial security and educational continuity for girls from economically weaker families.

The Chief Minister said that the initiative aims to ensure that no girl child in Delhi is forced to discontinue her education due to financial constraints, while creating a long-term savings corpus that matures as she completes key educational milestones.

Under the new scheme, the government will provide financial assistance of up to Rs 56,000 per beneficiary, deposited in phased instalments linked to education and age-related milestones, beginning from birth and continuing through graduation or diploma-level studies.

The accumulated amount, invested through a structured financial instrument, will grow over time and be released directly into the beneficiary’s Aadhaar-linked bank account on maturity, said a statement.

The eligibility conditions under the Delhi LakhpatiBitiya Yojana have been slightly modified from the earlier Ladli Scheme. The scheme applies to girls born in Delhi, whose families have been residing in the city for at least three years, with an annual family income not exceeding Rs 1.20 lakh, it said.

The benefits are limited to two surviving girl children per family. Girls may be registered under the scheme within one year of birth, or at later stages of admission to Class I, VI, IX, XI, or upon admission to a recognised graduation or diploma course, it said.

The Chief Minister said, “This is one of the schemes of our government that is very close to my heart. It shows our commitment towards ensuring that every girl, every daughter of Delhi, gets an opportunity to reach her full potential. This is our investment in the future of our girls and, therefore, the future of our country that lies in their able hands.”

“As the girls cross educational milestones, we will deposit up to Rs 56,000 directly in their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts, which on maturity will increase to over Rs 1 lakh along with interest,” said Chief Minister Gupta.

She noted that when the present government assumed office, it was found that a very large number of maturity accounts had remained unclaimed.

“More than 1.86 lakh maturity accounts were lying unclaimed, which means that the money meant for our daughters did not reach them on time,” the Chief Minister said.

Addressing this long-pending issue, the Chief Minister stated that the Delhi Government has taken focused action to ensure that these funds reach their rightful beneficiaries.

“Earlier in 2025, 30,000 such beneficiaries were identified, and an amount of Rs 90 crore, whose fund was lying unclaimed so far, has already been disbursed to them. Now we have further identified another 41,000 beneficiaries, and an amount of Rs 100 crore will be released shortly to them,” she said.

“In total, Rs 190 crore, which rightfully belongs to these girls, is being ensured and delivered to them,” the Chief Minister added.

She further announced that to reflect its strengthened vision and long-term impact, the scheme will now be known as the “LakhpatiBitiya Yojana.”

The Chief Minister reiterated that the Government remains fully committed to protecting the rights, dignity, and future of every girl child in Delhi, and that no beneficiary will be allowed to remain deprived of her rightful entitlement.

--IANS

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