Haryana rolls out 'Lado Lakshmi Yojana' for 20 lakh women: Money, eligibility - all you need to know

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday announced that the state government will implement the Deen Dayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana from September 25, under which eligible women will receive a monthly financial assistance of ₹2,100. The move fulfils a key poll promise of the ruling BJP.

According to PTI, the decision was taken at a special meeting of the state cabinet that had a single agenda — approval of the scheme. Saini said the rollout will coincide with the birth anniversary of BJP ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya.

Explaining the framework, Saini said women aged 23 years and above — married or unmarried — will be eligible for the assistance.

 In the first phase, the scheme will cover women belonging to families with an annual income below ₹1 lakh. "We estimate that around 19-20 lakh women will benefit in the first phase," he said. The scheme will be expanded in stages to cover more income categories.

The chief minister clarified that there will be no cap on the number of beneficiaries in a household — if three women in one family qualify, all three will receive the allowance. For eligibility, either the woman herself or, if married, her husband must be a Haryana domicile for at least 15 years.

The scheme also dovetails into other welfare benefits. Once an unmarried woman turns 45, she will be covered under the Widow and Destitute Women Financial Assistance Scheme, while married beneficiaries will be shifted to the Old Age Samman Allowance Pension Scheme upon turning 60.

Saini said an app will be launched to allow women to apply from home. Lists of eligible beneficiaries will also be displayed in panchayats and wards to ensure transparency.

The BJP had promised the scheme ahead of the 2024 Haryana Assembly polls. In the state budget for 2025–26, Saini, who also holds the finance portfolio, earmarked ₹5,000 crore for the initiative.

Taking a swipe at the opposition, Saini said unlike Congress and AAP, which “forget their manifestos after elections”, the BJP fulfils its promises. 

"There are no elections in Haryana right now, but we are delivering what we committed," he said, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “double-engine government” for empowering women and the poor through welfare measures.