New Delhi: In a significant policy moment for the national capital, President Droupadi Murmu on Monday launched a cluster of women-centric schemes under the Delhi government’s “Sashakt Nari, Samriddh Delhi” initiative at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
The programme signals an attempt to move beyond symbolic empowerment and anchor women’s welfare within structured financial and mobility frameworks.
Among the initiatives unveiled were the Pink National Common Mobility Card (Saheli Card), the Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana, the “Meri Poonji, Mera Adhikar” initiative, and a scheme providing two free LPG cylinders annually to ration card-holding families during Holi and Diwali. The LPG benefit, estimated at Rs 129 crore, will be transferred directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer.
Addressing the gathering, the President emphasised that women’s empowerment is not merely a government programme but a societal responsibility. She noted that women are contributing across sectors — from defence to science — and reiterated that inclusive development requires collective participation. “When a daughter is educated, the entire family progresses,” she observed, framing empowerment as both economic and social transformation.
The Pink NCMC card aims to integrate women more securely and independently into Delhi’s public transport network. Beyond mobility, the card is positioned as a financial and identity-linked access tool — reflecting a broader shift toward digital welfare architecture.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta described the schemes as an integrated model beginning from the birth of a girl child and extending through education, mobility and household relief. She said the revised transport mechanism would ensure transparency and efficiency compared to earlier models of free travel.
The Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana and “Meri Poonji, Mera Adhikar” initiatives are designed to strengthen long-term financial participation and asset-building among women, particularly from economically weaker sections.
Senior government officials and ministers were present at the launch, which comes at a time when women’s economic participation, urban safety, and targeted welfare delivery are central to governance conversations.
While the political messaging emphasised empowerment and dignity, the real test will lie in implementation — ensuring access, transparency and sustained impact beyond announcement-stage optics.
For Delhi, the initiative reflects a calibrated effort to align social welfare with financial inclusion and mobility independence, placing women at the core of its development narrative.
