Delhi HC Questions MP, MLA Endorsement Rule for Delhi Lakshmi Yojana

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday questioned the Delhi government's decision to require women applying for ₹2,500 monthly assistance under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana to obtain an endorsement letter from their local Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA).

A bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that the endorsement requirement was not part of the scheme's formal eligibility criteria and could make access to financial aid dependent on a lawmaker's discretion, effectively blocking eligible applicants.

"If someone fails to get endorsement of an application, will they be allowed to approach the second stage? You’re blocking her application and making it dependent on what the MLA thinks," the bench remarked, asking why the government could not rely on standard documentary verification instead.

The court directed counsel for the Delhi government to seek instructions regarding the requirement and scheduled the matter for further consideration on Monday.

The observations came during the hearing of a petition filed by former councillors Abhishekh Dutt and Vedpal Sheetal Chaudhary. The petitioners argued that the endorsement condition introduced political gatekeeping without setting any timelines or guidelines for lawmakers to make decisions.

The petition also challenged other conditions of the scheme, including a three-child eligibility limit and a 10-year residency requirement in Delhi, arguing the latter disadvantages migrant women living in rented accommodations.

Under the scheme's criteria, an applicant must be the eldest woman aged 21 to 60 in a household earning less than ₹2.5 lakh annually. The woman, her husband, or her parents must have resided in Delhi for at least 10 years, and the household's annual electricity usage in the preceding 12 months must not exceed 2,400 units.

The Delhi Lakshmi Yojana was notified on August 6. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that eligible beneficiaries will begin receiving benefit letters starting August 26 at an event at Talkatora Stadium, with monthly disbursements scheduled to begin on September 1.