Chandigarh, Sep 25 : Marking the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the Haryana government on Thursday dedicated the occasion to development, uplift of the last person in the queue, and women's empowerment.

At a state-level ceremony held in Panchkula, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini unveiled the ambitious 'Deendayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana', aimed at strengthening the economic and social standing of women, and launched a dedicated mobile application to ensure implementation of the scheme aimed at strengthening the social and economic status of women.

To address difficulties faced during the application process, the Chief Minister released a toll-free 18001802231 and a helpline number 01724880500.

During the programme, live registration of five eligible women was also carried out under the scheme.

He said that in a short span of the mobile app launch, nearly 50,000 women had downloaded it, and around 8,000 women had already submitted applications.

Furthermore, in a significant push towards strengthening the state's infrastructure and health facilities, the Chief Minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for projects worth Rs 326.25 crore during the programme. This included 31 health-related initiatives costing Rs 78.04 crore, the foundation for 97 projects costing Rs 78.12 crore, and the renovation of 10 health institutions costing Rs 80.72 crore.

Additionally, the foundation stones were laid for one project each from the Public Works Department and Urban Local Bodies, together amounting to Rs 89.37 crore.

The Chief Minister said in the first phase, nearly 20 lakh women in Haryana will benefit. The scheme is open to both married and unmarried women between the ages of 23 and 60 years, belonging to families with an annual income of up to Rs 1 lakh. Beneficiaries will receive Rs 2,100 per month directly in their bank accounts through direct benefit transfer (DBT). Importantly, any number of eligible women within the same household will be entitled to receive the assistance.

The government has approved an annual budget of Rs 5,000 crore for 2025-26 for this initiative.

CM Saini underlined that the scheme has been launched with full transparency and simplicity. All processes like application, verification and grievance redressal will be handled only through the mobile application.

Women will not need to visit any common service centres or government offices; they will be able to apply directly from their mobile phones at home. Those eligible as of September 25 can begin applying immediately, while others may apply on the date they become eligible, he said.

The Chief Minister urged girls below 23 years to mark their 23rd birthday by applying for this scheme.

He further shared that the launch of the Deendayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana marks the fulfilment of the 42nd promise out of 217 commitments listed in the government's 'Sankalp Patra'.

He assured that 90 commitments will be fulfilled by the end of this year.

Extending greetings on the occasion of 'Sharadiya Navratras' and the birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, CM Saini remarked that Deen Dayal Upadhyaya believed a nation can become great only when its women are safe, educated and respected.

The government, he added, is determined to ensure that women and daughters are economically empowered, self-reliant and active participants in the mainstream of society.

/IANS