Delhi HC issues notice on plea against mandatory MP/MLA endorsement for Lakshmi Yojana benefits
New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Delhi government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the mandatory requirement of obtaining an MP/MLA endorsement or recommendation letter for availing benefits under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, which provides financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per month to eligible women from economically weaker sections.
A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia issued notice on the petition filed by Shabana Hussain and tagged it with a pending petition raising a similar issue.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on September 17. The PIL has challenged the requirement under which an otherwise eligible woman seeking benefits under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana is required to approach an elected MP or MLA, obtain an endorsement/recommendation letter and upload it on the registration portal.
The petitioner has contended that the requirement introduces an “unguided and discretionary political interface” between the government and beneficiaries of a welfare scheme.
The plea stated that the scheme does not prescribe any objective criteria governing the grant or refusal of such endorsement, any time limit for issuing it, reasons for refusal, an appellate or review mechanism, or any alternative administrative procedure.
“The limited issue before this Hon’ble Court is whether an elected representative’s endorsement, which may appropriately be provided as voluntary assistance, can lawfully be converted into a mandatory condition precedent for an otherwise eligible citizen to access a State welfare benefit,” stated the petition, filed through advocate Ashu Bidhuri.
It further argued that the condition could result in similarly situated women being treated differently depending on their ability or inability to secure such an endorsement, despite fulfilling all substantive eligibility criteria.
The petitioner has also submitted that the requirement is particularly burdensome for economically vulnerable women, as it may involve repeated visits to political offices, expenditure on printing, cyber-café and scanning facilities, loss of wages and dependence on intermediaries.
The plea has sought deletion or quashing of the mandatory MP/MLA endorsement/recommendation requirement and directions for implementation of the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana through an “objective, transparent, accessible and non-discriminatory mechanism”.
The petitioner’s grievance is confined to the political endorsement requirement and does not challenge the beneficial object of the scheme or the financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per month.
The PIL has also stated that the petitioner had submitted a detailed representation to the concerned authorities on August 21, 2026, but no effective remedial action was taken. The plea was filed after the Delhi government published a Gazette notification on August 6, 2026.
–IANS
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