Will include women-centric schemes in Budget 2026-27: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta signalled on Tuesday that she plans to announce several initiatives for women and girls in Budget 2026-27 that she would present in the Assembly on March 24.

Highlighting the importance of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), she said women in Delhi will be provided employment and entrepreneurship opportunities through small group-based models.

She shared her government’s plans for including women-centric schemes in the Budget while attending a ‘Nari Utsav’ programme held at the Nirmal Chhaya Complex, where she paid tribute to the strength and contribution of women in nation-building.

She said women, through their dedication, selfless service and sense of duty, are playing a leading role across sectors and driving the country towards the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047.

During her visit, the Chief Minister toured the Nirmal Chhaya campus and reviewed various schemes, services and facilities.

She also launched and assessed several initiatives of the Department of Women and Child Development, reiterating the Delhi government’s commitment to the holistic empowerment of women and children.

Chief Minister Gupta noted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, women are scaling new heights — from rural industries to corporate sectors, and from politics to the armed forces — and said the Delhi government is working in the same direction to make women more empowered and self-reliant.

Emphasising safety, dignity and self-reliance as the three pillars of women’s empowerment, Gupta said every woman deserves a secure environment, respect in all circumstances, and opportunities to become financially independent.

She also stressed the need to expand platforms like ‘Mahila Haat’ to help women showcase and sell their products.

The Chief Minister said the government’s focus is not just on launching schemes, but on ensuring their effective implementation so that benefits reach every needy individual. She underlined the shared responsibility of society in ensuring that no one is left hungry, unemployed or neglected.

Interacting with women trained under the WCD-DSEU programme, the Chief Minister appreciated the launch of SHG-run canteens at 10 locations, calling it a strong model for promoting women’s entrepreneurship.

Chief Minister Gupta inspected the ‘Samarth Anganwadi’, where upgraded infrastructure, multi-dimensional activities, and health and wellness services were on display.

She launched several key initiatives, including a compendium of schemes related to women and children and the WCD newsletter.

She also distributed health mix kits to pregnant and lactating mothers, provided incentives to Anganwadi workers, and launched the Juvenile Justice Management Information System (JJMIS) portal to improve child-centric service delivery.

Under the ‘Give to Gain’ initiative, she called for stronger collaboration between the government and the private sector to enhance Anganwadi centres and childcare institutions.

The initiative will support the installation of sanitary napkin vending machines, infrastructure upgrades, expansion of mobile health services, and new programmes for women and children, along with creating livelihood opportunities for women and SHGs.

--IANS

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