Congress leader Ajay Maken (L) and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.
Credit: PTI Photos
New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday alleged that a total of 3.20 lakh beneficiaries have not been paid Rs 618 crore by the Delhi government under the "Ladli Yojana," launched by former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in 2008.
In its response, the Aam Aadmi Party said, "It's unfortunate how the Congress is parroting BJP-manufactured lies -- using forged documents cooked up in BJP offices -- to hurl baseless accusations at the AAP. The Congress must publicly declare its alliance with the BJP now."
During a press conference, All India Congress Committee Treasurer and MP Ajay Maken said that Dikshit had launched the Ladli Yojana scheme on January 1, 2008 to stop female foeticide and save the girl child in the national capital.
"This was Delhi's flagship scheme, which was praised across the world," he added.
The Ladli Yojana provides financial assistance in the form of term deposits: Rs 11,000 for hospital births, Rs 10,000 for home births, and Rs 5,000 at key milestones -- enrollment in classes one, two, six, nine, and 10.
As soon as the girl turns 18, Rs 1 lakh is deposited in her account.
"According to the CAG report, a total of 20,242 people registered in 2008-09 when the scheme was launched. This was done under registration at birth. The numbers increased to 23,871 in 2009-10. However, the registration has reduced to 3,153 in 2020-21," Maken said, adding that there was a decline of 700 per cent.
When it began, the scheme had two parts. First, the money was to be given after registration at the time of birth of the girl child. Second, if registration was not done at birth, it could be done later.
"The government has not done any publicity, and no action has been taken for the scheme," he alleged.
The total registration in 2013-14 was 1,39,346, but it reduced to 43,415 in 2020-21, amounting to a reduction of 300 per cent. The population is increasing in Delhi, but the registration has decreased, he said.
"The government is promising to give Rs 2,100 to women but is not implementing the scheme meant for the girls," Maken alleged.
"The CAG has found that about Rs 618 crore of 3.20 lakh beneficiaries of Ladli Yojana is lying with the government, but the money has not been given to them. CAG has said that there are 8.84 lakh beneficiaries in December 2022. Out of these active beneficiaries, 3.20 lakh beneficiaries are not being given money," he claimed.
Delhi Assembly Election 2025 | The first of two state assembly polls this year sees a three-way contest between AAP, Congress, and BJP in the nation's capital. AAP decided to contest the polls alone, causing rumours of a rift in I.N.D.I.A. BJP, meanwhile, is hoping the liquor excise policy scam and pollution in Delhi will give the saffron party an edge over AAP. Kejriwal, on the other hand, has different plans with his demand for reservations for Delhi Jats. Congress will also be looking to make its presence felt and has not held back from attacking its own alliance partner. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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