New Delhi | The BJP government in Delhi approved the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana on Saturday to provide a monthly assistance of Rs 2,500 each to eligible women and allocated Rs 5,100 crore for the implementation of the scheme.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

Although the government has not officially issued any guidelines or said anything about the eligibility criteria, sources claimed that the age and income criteria of 21-60 years and an annual income of not more than Rs 2.5 lakh were deliberated upon at the Cabinet meeting.

A portal will be launched through which women can apply to avail the benefits of the scheme.

Talking to reporters, Gupta said a Group of Ministers headed by her has been formed to oversee the implementation of the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana, with Ashish Sood, Parvesh Verma and Kapil Mishra being the other members of the panel.

"We have made a provision of Rs 5,100 crore in the budget to start distributing the benefits of the scheme. A committee headed by me has been formed for this work.

"This work will start immediately with the development of a portal for the registrations and intensive deliberations over the terms and conditions," the chief minister said.

She said at the meeting, the Delhi Cabinet approved the "Sankalp Patra" (the BJP's manifesto for the Delhi Assembly polls) promise to provide Rs 2,500 each to poor women.

Speaking at a party event, which was attended by Gupta and her Cabinet colleagues at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, BJP president J P Nadda congratulated the chief minister on the approval of the scheme.

Meanwhile, the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a scathing attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of failing to deliver on its election promise of giving Rs 2,500 per month to women before International Women's Day.

Addressing a press conference here, Leader of Opposition Atishi called Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee a "jumla" and accused the saffron party of misleading voters.

"The women of Delhi are waiting to see messages on their phones about the transfer of Rs 2,500 to their bank accounts. The BJP government has proved that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had lied to them. I am sure that like this promise, all other promises too shall be proven to be false," the former chief minister said.

At the BJP event, Gupta said it has also been decided that her government will work for the safety and prosperity of women.

She said the Delhi government will set up "one-stop centres" in all the districts to strengthen women safety by providing them with assistance, including police help and legal counselling.

The BJP, in its "Viksit Delhi Sankalp Patra" for the Assembly polls held in February, had promised to provide Rs 2,500 per month under the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana to women from poor families.

A statement issued by the Delhi government said the scheme will leverage advanced technology to ensure transparency, efficiency and seamless disbursement of the financial benefits.

An Aadhaar-based e-KYC authentication process will be employed to screen the applicants, the statement said.

Gupta said the BJP has risen above symbolism under Modi's leadership and empowered women through various initiatives.

"On one hand, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the budget of the country and on the other hand, Rekha Gupta will present the budget of Delhi," she said, asserting that the BJP has worked to ensure that women leaders in the party rise to the highest decision-making positions.

"The courage to take this significant decision could only be exhibited by the BJP. There could be no bigger honour for women," she said, citing her appointment as the chief minister.

Gupta asserted that her government will work for a holistic empowerment of women and their well-being. "We will work for the safety and prosperity of the women in Delhi," she said.

She asserted that the BJP will fulfil all the promises it has made to people in the "Sankalp Patra".