NEW DELHI: Delhi govt’s Lakshmi Yojana, launched Augt 1, promises Rs 2,500 a month for eligible women. But many are getting stuck at the first level – registration.The signature of an MP or legislator, hunt for a decade-old address proof, repeated trips to cyber cafes to fill forms online and no option to correct mistakes on submitted forms have turned the scheme into a process that many can ill-afford.According to senior officials, this is Delhi govt’s only scheme that makes the signature of an MP or MLA mandatory for registration.
Lakshmi plan applicants run into regn roadblock
To understand exactly how accessible the registration process is for an ordinary applicant, TOI visited the offices of six legislators.TOI visited the offices of BJP MLAs Shikha Rai (Greater Kailash), Tarvinder Singh Marwah (Jangpura), Kapil Mishra (Karawal Nagar), Parvesh Verma (New Delhi), AAP MLA Atishi (Kalkaji) and BJP MP Manoj Tiwari (North East Delhi).Women, accompanied in many cases by children and husbands, carried filled forms and documents. Some waited for the representative’s signature and many returned empty-handed because of incomplete forms, missing documents or confusion over the process.The registration process itself emerged as one of the biggest bottlenecks. Several women reached MLA offices carrying only their Aadhaar cards and other documents, believing they could fill the form there. Instead, they were told the form had to be submitted online first before they could seek the MLA’s signature.Others relied on cyber cafés, where the application often took close to an hour because of multiple document uploads. If a mistake has been made while filling the form and it has been submitted, the option to edit or correct the mistake is not available at present.Adding to their difficulties was the requirement of proving 10 years of residence in Delhi. Many women said they had replaced old voter identity cards or lost older records over the years. Despite living in Delhi for decades, they were unsure how they would establish eligibility.At around 11.50am Monday, five to six families, mostly women, waited in the basement office of BJP MLA Shikha Rai in Greater Kailash, clutching printouts of their applications. Many had taken leave from work, while others had brought their children along because there was no one to look after them.Office staff scrutinised every application before accepting it. Applicants whose forms were complete were asked to return the following day because the MLA was not present to sign them. Most others were asked to correct errors before they could proceed. “We don’t know how to use smartphones.
Getting letter from MP/MLA major challenge.
People told us we would get the form here. We came early in the morning, but after reaching here we were told to first fill the form online and then return with a printed copy for the MLA’s signature,” said Suman Singh, a resident of Chirag Delhi.For 53-year-old Tulsi, the problem came after she had already completed the online application. “I came with my daughter only to get the MLA’s signature, but we were told there was a mistake in the application. We had selected the wrong assembly constituency. There is no option to edit the form. We have been told the application must first be deleted and then filled again,” said Tulsi, whose husband drives an autorickshaw.At the office of AAP MLA Atishi, the queue looked different. Most people waiting were men completing applications on behalf of their wives or mothers. Drivers, restaurant workers and small shopkeepers stood in line with bundles of documents.Sumit Kumar, who had come to submit his wife’s application, said the process was smooth because all his documents were in order. “I filled the form online and brought all the required documents. The office verified everything, got the form signed and now I only have to upload it on the portal,” he said. But not everyone was able to move ahead.Shabnam Khan, who accompanied her mother, said her mother’s application was completed without difficulty. Her own application, however, was held up because she could not produce the required ten-year address proof after her address changed after she got married two years ago.On Tuesday, BJP MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwah’s office in Jangpura saw a steady stream of applicants submitting completed forms for signatures. Staff told applicants they would receive a phone call once their signed forms were ready for collection.Pinky Singh, who had submitted her application on Aug 1, said she received a call while on her way to pick up her child from school informing her that the signed documents were ready. “Earlier family members could collect the forms, but now only the applicant is allowed to take them,” she said.At BJP MP Manoj Tiwari’s office, staff were helping applicants with the registration process. Those travelling from far were told they could send documents over WhatsApp, after which the office would facilitate the signature and upload the signed documents on the portal.Around noon Wednesday, Delhi minister and New Delhi MLA Parvesh Verma’s office had no queue, but staff was assisting applicants with documentation and registration.Few applicants reached the Karawal Nagar office of minister Kapil Mishra in heavy rain. Staff accepted only completed applications, while many women left without submitting their forms because they were either unsure about eligibility or did not have documents.Among them was Ridhina, whose husband has a pani-puri cart. With three children and no voter ID, she arrived hoping someone would explain whether she was eligible.“I came to understand whether I am eligible because my parents have passed away and I don’t have all the required documents. But the office was only accepting completed forms. I went back without any clarity,” she said.Mishra told TOI that his office completed more than 4,000 applications so far. “Our immediate priority is to process and sign those forms first… In the coming days, we will also seek the support of councillors to assist applicants.Volunteers will be deployed in every ward to help people with document verification and the online application process, especially those who are not comfortable with technology,” Mishra said.He added that a facilitation centre has been set up at a banquet hall to help residents fill out the forms. “Gradually, we will expand this assistance so that more people can receive help with both online registration and document-related issues,” he said.Across offices, one concern repeatedly surfaced: many women were struggling to produce the documents required to prove their eligibility, particularly decade-old proof of residence.The second was that there seemed to be no recourse if incorrect information had been filled in the registration form – something that many women are finding out only when they visit MP/MLA offices.Elected representatives, except Mishra, did not respond to calls or messages regarding the challenges and pace of registration.According to a senior official in the department of women and child development, the option of editing a form after submission is being discussed with NIC, which developed the portal.
