Chandigarh, September 25 — Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday dedicated Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay’s birth anniversary to Antyodaya upliftment and women empowerment by launching the Deendayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana. A special mobile application was also unveiled to ensure transparent implementation of the scheme, which is set to benefit nearly 20 lakh women in its first phase.
Addressing a state-level function at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, Saini emphasized that the initiative would provide ₹2,100 monthly financial assistance directly into the bank accounts of women between the ages of 23 and 60 from families with annual incomes below ₹1 lakh. Importantly, all eligible women in a family will be entitled to the benefit. For 2025–26, a budget of ₹5,000 crore has been allocated to this scheme.
The Chief Minister also launched toll-free helplines (18001802231 and 01724880500) to address application-related queries. During the program, the live registration of five women was carried out, while Saini revealed that within hours of the app’s launch, around 50,000 women had downloaded it and nearly 8,000 had already applied.
Alongside the scheme, Saini inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of development projects worth ₹326.25 crore, including 128 projects in the health sector, upgrades for 10 health institutions, and infrastructure projects under the Public Works and Urban Local Bodies Departments.
Highlighting Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay’s philosophy of Antyodaya, Saini said the government is committed to the welfare of every section of society, especially women and marginalized groups. “Our vision is to empower women socially and economically so they can play an equal role in the mainstream of society,” he said.
The Chief Minister recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently championed women empowerment through initiatives like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Lakhpati Didi, Drone Didi, and the recently launched Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyan. Haryana, he noted, is already a frontrunner in women’s empowerment, with over 2.13 lakh women recognized as Lakhpati Didis, and several welfare policies providing financial relief, education, and employment opportunities to women.
State leaders including Haryana Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan, Social Justice Minister Krishan Kumar Bedi, and Health Minister Kumari Aarti Singh Rao hailed the scheme as a milestone for women’s empowerment in Haryana. Kalyan termed it a “social revolution” that would ensure women gain new heights in education, health, and economic independence.
The event was attended by ministers, MLAs, senior officials, and thousands of women from across the state.
