Now Reading: Delhi govt defends MP/MLA endorsement for women’s aid scheme
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Delhi govt defends MP/MLA endorsement for women’s aid scheme
The Delhi government has told the Delhi High Court that requiring an MP or MLA recommendation to avail Rs 2,500 monthly aid under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana is not arbitrary. It submitted…
The Delhi government has told the Delhi High Court that requiring an MP or MLA recommendation to avail Rs 2,500 monthly aid under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana is not arbitrary. It submitted that 7.32 lakh forms have already been received with such endorsements.
The affidavit, filed by the Department of Women and Child Welfare, opposes a petition by former Congress councillor Abhishek Dutt and sitting councillor Vedpal Sheetal Chaudhary. The government argued the condition is neither ultra vires nor causing hardship, pointing to other schemes with similar requirements including the NDMC pension scheme and the Odisha Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
The government also sought dismissal of the petition, calling it a publicity move by a political rival aimed at creating hurdles. No beneficiary has challenged the requirement, it said.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The core dispute here is not the welfare payout but the gatekeeping role of elected representatives in accessing it. Similar endorsement conditions have been struck down by courts in other states when found to be arbitrary or creating a patronage channel. The Delhi government's reliance on comparable schemes may not shield it if the court finds the MP/MLA requirement lacks a rational nexus to the scheme's objective of direct financial aid to women. The case now turns on whether the requirement is deemed procedural or exclusionary. The High Court's next hearing will signal how it views this balance between administrative convenience and equitable access.
Source: livelaw.in
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
