New Delhi, 31 May : Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday announced that the much-anticipated ₹2,500 monthly financial assistance scheme for underprivileged women in the capital would be launched soon. She also took a dig at the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, accusing them of either failing to implement similar schemes or launching them without sufficient funding.

Speaking in a podcast-style interview with actor Anupam Kher to mark her government’s 100 days in office, Gupta said, “We’ve held six meetings to finalise the policy, and ₹5,100 crore has been earmarked in the Budget for the Mahila Samridhi Yojana.”

She added that the Delhi government is determined not to repeat the mistakes seen in Himachal Pradesh, where a similar scheme was announced with much enthusiasm but later faced funding issues. Gupta also criticised the previous Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, which, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, had promised ₹1,000 per month to women but failed to deliver. “The AAP government in Punjab made similar promises but has yet to implement the scheme,” she said.

Acknowledging that Delhi’s women have high hopes from the BJP government, Gupta assured that the Mahila Samridhi Yojana would be launched shortly for eligible beneficiaries. “We want this to be a stable, long-term scheme that runs without interruptions,” she stated.

Reflecting on BJP’s 10 years in opposition during AAP’s rule, Gupta said party workers remained connected with the people and continued to work as their representatives. “When Delhi was being wronged — corruption was being exposed daily, liquor shops were popping up everywhere — we stayed in the fight. Over these 10 years, Delhi regressed, but we did what we could to support the people,” she said.

She admitted that regaining public trust within 100 days was a tough task, especially after the anti-corruption movement that began at Ramlila Maidan failed to meet expectations. “People who sought honest governance were disillusioned. They lost faith in politics. But my Cabinet and I have stayed among the people, and this is helping rebuild trust. Delhi and the Yamuna suffered due to long-standing neglect, but we are committed to reversing that,” Gupta concluded.