Delhi HC questions MP/MLA endorsement for Lakshmi Yojana benefits

Delhi HC questions MP/MLA endorsement for Lakshmi Yojana benefits Published – August 20, 2026 12: 34 am IST.

Key points

• The proceedings arose from a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by former Congress councillor Abhishek Dutt and sitting councillor Vedpal Sheetal Chaudhary.
• Under the scheme, women aged between 21 and 60 years with an annual family income of up to ₹2.5 lakh are eligible to apply.
• When the Delhi administration rolled out an online registration portal, according to the PIL, the scheme came into operation on August 1.
• According to The Bench, the requirement of a legislator's endorsement did not find mention in the scheme, which specifies detailed eligibility conditions for beneficiaries.
• According to The plea additionally, applicants had no grievance redressal mechanism if an MP or MLA declined to provide the endorsement.

In practice, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday questioned the Delhi government's decision to require an endorsement from the local MP or MLA for women seeking benefits under the 'Delhi Lakshmi Yojana'. It provides financial assistance of ₹2, 500 a month.

In practice, a Bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia remarked such an endorsement could not be justified when eligibility could be verified through other documents. The court asked the administration to seek instructions on the problem and listed the matter for August 24.

"Seek instructions. We can't approve of it, " the Bench informed the administration counsel.

Notably, the proceedings arose from a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by former Congress councillor Abhishek Dutt and sitting councillor Vedpal Sheetal Chaudhary.

According to The Bench, the requirement of a legislator's endorsement did not find mention in the scheme, which specifies detailed eligibility conditions for beneficiaries. "Why are you asking them to approach the MLA or the MP?" the court remarked.

"We are of a prima facie view that in assessing as to whether a woman fulfils the criteria, various documents can be asked for. It is feasible that a woman may or may not secure the endorsement of the MP/MLA of her constituency. In any case, the scheme does not mention any requirement of an endorsement letter, " the court observed.

For context, the petitioners argued that making a recommendation or endorsement from the local MP or MLA mandatory offered political representatives "unbridled discretion" and effectively turned a welfare entitlement into an instrument of political patronage.

When the Delhi administration rolled out an online registration portal, according to the PIL, the scheme came into operation on August 1. The petitioners remarked the portal produced submission of a recommendation or endorsement letter from the concerned MP or MLA a compulsory requirement for registration.

Apart from challenging the endorsement requirement, the petition seeks directions for the formulation of objective, transparent and non-arbitrary guidelines for verifying eligibility and disbursing financial assistance under the scheme, without political interference or unguided executive discretion.

Nevertheless, the scheme excludes women already receiving benefits under another financial assistance scheme or pension, income-tax payers and administration employees. Families with more than three living children, annual electricity consumption above 2, 400 units, ownership of a four-wheeler, or a member in administration service are additionally excluded. Families with a member facing a criminal case are similarly ineligible.

Notably, the guidelines further provide that the eldest eligible woman in a family can apply. The applicant, or her parents or husband, must have been residents of Delhi for at least 10 years, and the beneficiary must be a registered voter in the national capital.

In short, delhi HC questions MP/MLA endorsement for Lakshmi Yojana benefits is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.