Congress leader Kumari Selja accused the Haryana BJP government of repeatedly making changes in the ‘Lado Lakshmi scheme’ and failing to deliver the financial aid it had promised to women ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections. Shelja, Congress general secretary and MP from Sirsa, called it "open betrayal of women’, adding that the “repeated changes in the scheme proves state government's intention to not empower women but to mislead them.”
"Initially, a condition was imposed that women with an annual income of over 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.
"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 added.
The Congress MP asked the Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to fulfil his government’s original promise of giving Rs 2,100 per month to all the women of Haryana, without any conditions.
What is the scheme?
According to an official statement released 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.
CM 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.
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