Mahendragarh, Haryana — Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday launched the second phase of the Deendayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana, increasing the annual family income eligibility for the scheme to ₹1.80 lakh and fixing the monthly assistance at ₹2,100 per beneficiary.
Scope of expansion and beneficiaries
Saini said the revision expands the scheme’s reach significantly. In the first phase, the programme covered more than 10 lakh women from households with an annual income of up to ₹1 lakh. With the enhanced income ceiling, around 17 lakh more women will now be brought within the ambit of the scheme, he said.
"Around 17 lakh more women will now benefit from the scheme," the Chief Minister said at the event in Mahendragarh.
The scheme aims to provide direct monthly financial support to women from low-income families to strengthen their financial security and self-reliance, the Chief Minister’s office said.
Other announcements at the event
At the programme organised on the occasion of Lord Vishwakarma Jayanti, Saini also released a sports grant of ₹33.96 crore to 3,396 government senior secondary and high schools, the state government said.
In addition, the Chief Minister inaugurated a new online portal — the SEVA First Innovation Challenge — under a month-long "Seva Sankalp Abhiyan" launched in the state to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 25 years in public life. The portal is intended to give students, startups, entrepreneurs, researchers, grassroots innovators and citizens a platform to present ideas, technologies and solutions, the government said.
Policy implications and implementation
The increase in the annual income ceiling from ₹1 lakh to ₹1.80 lakh will widen eligibility across rural and urban low-income households. Officials said the expansion is aimed at enhancing financial inclusion for women-headed and vulnerable families, though details on the administrative roll-out, including the timeline for enrolment of the newly eligible beneficiaries, were not provided at the programme.
Key administrative questions to be addressed by the state machinery include verification of income certificates, beneficiary identification, integration with existing welfare databases and the schedule for the first disbursal to the newly covered cohort. The government has previously used Aadhaar and state socioeconomic data for beneficiary targeting in similar schemes.
Context: scheme so far and state campaign
The Deendayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana was introduced to provide regular cash assistance to women from economically weaker households. The first phase, confined to families with annual incomes up to ₹1 lakh, covered over 10 lakh beneficiaries, according to the state government.
The launch coincided with state-level activities under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan and events marking Prime Minister Modi’s birthday, reflecting a broader campaign by the Haryana government to showcase welfare measures and citizen engagement initiatives.
Details at a glance
- New annual income ceiling: ₹1.80 lakh
- Monthly assistance per beneficiary: ₹2,100
- Additional beneficiaries expected: ~17 lakh women
- Existing beneficiaries (first phase): >10 lakh women (families with income ≤ ₹1 lakh)
- Other measures announced: ₹33.96 crore sports grant to 3,396 government schools; launch of SEVA First Innovation Challenge portal
| Parameter | Phase I | Phase II (announced) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual family income limit | ₹1 lakh | ₹1.80 lakh |
| Monthly assistance | (as implemented) — beneficiaries receiving assistance | ₹2,100 per month |
| Approximate beneficiaries covered | More than 10 lakh | An estimated additional 17 lakh |
What beneficiaries should expect next
The state government is expected to issue implementation guidelines and a schedule for enrolment and payment to the newly eligible women. Beneficiaries should watch for official circulars from the social welfare department and district administrations about required documents, income verification procedures and the timeline for the initial disbursal under the expanded criteria.
Saini framed the expansion as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen social safety nets for women and to involve youth and innovators through the new portal. Further operational details and monitoring mechanisms are to be communicated by the relevant departments in the coming days, the state statement said.
