Welfare schemes to undergo review to ensure help reaches rightful beneficiaries: Delhi CM

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced on Monday that all existing welfare schemes will undergo a thorough review to ensure that assistance reaches only those who genuinely qualify. Individuals found ineligible will be removed from the beneficiary list.

Gupta chaired a high-level meeting at the Delhi Secretariat. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Department of Social Welfare and the Department for the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, an official statement said. The meeting focussed on reviewing ongoing schemes designed to uplift economically and socially-marginalised communities, it added.

Gupta said the BJP regime is fully committed to helping the poor, the elderly and those who receive financial support from the government.

She announced that all current welfare schemes will be reviewed to make sure only the truly-deserving people get help and those who are not eligible are removed. She also shared that the process of giving digital identity cards to persons with disabilities will start soon.

The chief minister said her government is not only providing financial assistance but also extending support in the form of rehabilitation, skill development, education and other essential welfare services.

She reviewed several key welfare schemes aimed at supporting vulnerable sections of the society, the statement said.

Gupta directed the officials to take active steps to improve the implementation of schemes like Financial Assistance for Senior Citizens and ensure transparency and accountability.

"Our aim is to establish a robust, inclusive and sensitive support system. We will ensure that no deserving individual is left out and public funds are used responsibly," she said.

Issues related to delays in disability certification, rehabilitation of those involved in begging and the digitisation of beneficiary data were also discussed at the meeting, the statement added.

Gupta directed the departments to resolve these issues swiftly and present a clear action plan for better coordination and service delivery.

She hit out at the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, accusing it of "consistent fraud" and "negligence" towards Delhi's underprivileged communities.

As a result, many ineligible individuals benefitted from schemes meant for the truly needy, she claimed.

Gupta specifically pointed out "serious irregularities" in the disbursement of widow pensions during the previous government's tenure.

"Many women who were not eligible were granted pensions unchecked. Our government will not allow such malpractices. Those who are truly eligible will receive financial assistance under all circumstances, but those found ineligible will be excluded from these schemes," she said.

The Financial Assistance for Senior Citizens scheme provides monthly financial aid to individuals aged 60 years and above, especially those from SC/ST communities or economically-weaker backgrounds. Depending on their age, the eligible beneficiaries receive between Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,500 per month.

Another important initiative is the Assistance to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), under which individuals with severe disabilities and who are unable to support themselves are granted Rs 2,500 per month.

The Delhi Family Benefit Scheme (DFBS) offers a one-time financial assistance of Rs 20,000 to families who have lost their primary breadwinner.

NATIONAL NEWDELHI

Photos

Photo caption : **EDS: SCREENSHOT VIA PTI VIDEOS** Jind: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta speaks with the media as she visits her birthplace on her birthday, at Julana, in Jind district, Haryana, Saturday, July 19, 2025. (PTI Photo)(PTI07_19_2025_000152B)

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