Delhi High Court Scrutinizes MP/MLA Endorsement Requirement for Delhi Lakshmi Yojana
In a recent hearing, the Delhi High Court questioned the necessity of obtaining endorsements from local Members of Parliament (MPs) or Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to qualify for the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana (DLY). This welfare initiative, introduced by the Delhi Government, aims to provide financial support of ₹2,500 per month to eligible women residents.
The court addressed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Abhishek Dutt and another petitioner, which challenged the endorsement requirement. According to the petitioner’s counsel, similar schemes in other states do not impose such conditions on beneficiaries.
Presiding over the case, the Division Bench comprised Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia. During the proceedings, the Bench noted that clause 4 of the scheme, which outlines eligibility criteria, does not mention any requirement for MP or MLA endorsements. However, the documentation needed to apply for the scheme does mandate such endorsements.
Chief Justice Upadhyaya expressed concerns regarding this stipulation, stating, “We can’t approve of it. Why do you need endorsement of MP/MLA to assess a woman’s eligibility? You are making her application depend on what the MP or MLA of the area thinks about her. There are better ways to identify eligibility.”
The court further observed, “We are of the prima facie view that in assessing whether a particular woman fulfills the eligibility criteria, various documents can be asked for. However, it is quite possible that a particular woman may or may not be able to get the endorsement from the MP/MLA. In any case, the eligibility criteria in clause 4 of the scheme does not require obtaining any letter from MP/MLA.”
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Following these remarks, the court directed the counsel representing the Delhi government to seek further instructions on the matter. The court scheduled the next hearing for the following week to continue deliberations.
