What Is Haryana's Rs 5,000-Crore 'Lado Lakshmi Yojana' Launched For 20 Lakh Women

The Haryana government on Thursday celebrated the birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay by launching a set of welfare measures focused on women's empowerment and inclusive development. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini launched the Deen Dayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana, a scheme to strengthen the economic independence of women, alongside a new mobile application to simplify registrations.

Mr Saini described the initiative as a reflection of the 'Antyodaya' philosophy, which aims to reach the last person in society.

"A nation can be truly great only when its women are safe, educated and respected. Haryana is determined to ensure that women and daughters are empowered, self-reliant and active participants in the mainstream of society. The Lado Lakshmi Yojana is a step in this direction," he said.

Under the first phase, around 20 lakh women aged 23 to 60 years from families with an annual income of up to Rs 1 lakh will receive Rs 2,100 per month, directly credited to their bank accounts. Every eligible woman in a household can apply, with no cap on the number of beneficiaries. The programme carries an annual budget of Rs 5,000 crore for 2025-26.

To make the scheme accessible, the government has introduced a mobile app for applications, verification and grievance redressal, ensuring the process is fully digital. Women can register without visiting government offices or common service centres. A toll-free helpline (18001802231) and a dedicated support line (01724880500) have also been set up. Within hours of the app's launch, about 50,000 downloads and 8,000 applications were recorded.

The chief minister urged young women to plan ahead for future eligibility. "Daughters below 23 years of age should celebrate their 23rd birthday by applying for the scheme," he said.

Mr Saini also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 326.25 crore. These included health sector upgrades such as the renovation of 10 health institutions and new works under the Public Works Department and Urban Local Bodies.

Highlighting the Centre's efforts towards women's progress, the chief minister cited several initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that in Haryana, over 2.13 lakh women have already become "Lakhpati Didis" and 100 women have received drones and training under "Drone Didi."

He also mentioned other women-focused measures in the state, such as free education for girls up to post-graduation, a creche policy, the creation of 33 all-women police stations and the 1091 helpline.