Haryana's Lado Lakshmi scheme being repeatedly changed, amounts to betrayal of women: Selja

Chandigarh, Jan 18 (PTI) Congress leader Kumari Selja on Sunday alleged that repeated changes were being made by the Haryana government in the Lado Lakshmi scheme, which she said amounts to "open betrayal of women." Selja said that before the 2024 Assembly elections, the BJP government had promised to give Rs 2,100 per month to all women in the state upon coming to power, but even after being in power for over a year now, "the government has been continuously retreating from its promise." Repeated changes were being made in the scheme, which amounts to "open betrayal of women", the Congress general secretary, who is MP from Sirsa, said.

"Initially, a condition was imposed that women with an annual income of more than Rs 1 lakh would not be eligible for the scheme. Later, they said the amount (to be given to the eligible women) will be deposited in instalments every three months," she said.

In a statement, Selja said, "The government made another change, stating that only women belonging to BPL families would get the benefit...now, for the third time, the government has announced another change, under which all women will receive only Rs 1,100, while the remaining Rs 1,000 will be placed in a long-term fixed deposit." Kumari Selja said repeatedly changing the rules proves that the government's intention is not to empower women but to mislead them.

Kumari Selja demanded that the Nayab Saini government fulfil its original promise without any conditions and immediately start giving Rs 2,100 per month to all women in the state.

According to an official statement here on Saturday, under the Deendayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana, each eligible woman is provided financial assistance of Rs 2,100 per month.

From February 2026, Rs 1,100 will be credited directly into the beneficiary's savings bank account, while the remaining Rs 1,000 will be deposited in a government-operated recurring deposit or fixed deposit account.

The accumulated amount, along with the interest earned, will be paid to the beneficiary upon maturity, ensuring both immediate support and long-term financial security.

On January 1, the Haryana cabinet gave a nod to amend the scheme to strengthen women's financial empowerment and foster long-term savings.

Notably, the scheme was launched on September 25, 2025, to enhance the social security of women in the state.

The scheme is open to both married and unmarried women between the ages of 23 and 60 years.

The scope of the scheme has been expanded since January 2026.

Earlier, only families with an annual income of up to Rs 1 lakh were eligible; this threshold has now been increased to Rs 1.80 lakh, enabling more women to benefit.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had said on Saturday that eligibility has also been extended to mothers whose children study in government schools and have secured more than 80 per cent marks in Class 10 or 12 board examinations or have achieved grade-level competency in Classes 1 to 4 under the NIPUN Bharat Mission. Mothers, whose children have been successfully rehabilitated from severe or moderate acute malnutrition, have also been included in the scheme.

These benefits are subject to verification through the 'Parivar Pehchan Patra' (family id), with the condition that the family's annual income does not exceed Rs 1.80 lakh and the mother has no more than three children, he had said. PTI SUN AMJ AMJ