Social Security and Welfare – Financial Assistance

Minimum Wages

• The AAP govt has hiked the minimum wages thrice in the last 6 years.
  1. The March 2017 notification (which could finally be rolled out only in 2019 because of delays due to court cases) hiked up the minimum wages by 37% on an average.
  2. After the Oct 2019 hike, minimum wages in Delhi became the highest amongst all the states. With the Oct 2019 hike, the minimum wages in Delhi became 3 times that of the national average. Over 55 lakh contractual workers were expected to benefit from the Oct 2019 hike in minimum wages.
  3. In Dec 2020, in view of the livelihoods that had got severely affected by the pandemic, another hike was announced – this time in DA (Dearness Allowance). This was brought into effect from 1st April 2021. (Government order dated 11th Nov 2021).
• The overall hike in minimum wages under the AAP govt since Feb 2015 is about 65-68%:
  • Unskilled workers – Rs 9,724 to Rs 16,064
  • Semi-skilled workers – Rs 10,764 to Rs 17,693
  • Skilled workers – Rs 11,830 to Rs 19,473

Senior Citizens

• About 4.49 lakh Senior Citizens were given monthly financial assistance in the FY 2020-2021. 4.64 lakh senior citizens were given this assistance in the previous year.

• The pilgrimage scheme for senior citizens, Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana, was earmarked a budget provision of Rs. 100 cr in 2020-21.

Persons With Special Needs (PWSNs)

• 1.06 lakh people with special needs were given assistance in the FY 2020-2021. In the previous year, 95,324 people were given this assistance.

Families of Deceased Breadwinners

• One time financial assistance is given to the families of deceased breadwinners.
• 11,145 families were helped in the FY 2020-2021. 10,729 families were given assistance in the previous year.

Uniformed personnel who die in the line of duty

The AAP government gives an ex-gratia amount of Rs 1 crore to the families of personnel who die in the line of duty. This includes those in the Defence forces, Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service and Civil Defence.

• On 19th June 2021, Delhi’s AAP govt announced ₹1 crore ex-gratia to families of 6 slain personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty.
  • ACP Sanket Kaushik (DP)
  • NC(E) Rajesh Kumar (IAF)
  • Flt Lt. Sunit Mohanty (IAF)
  • Sqn Ldr Meet Kumar (IAF)
  • Shri Vikas Kumar (DP)
  • Shri Pravesh Kumar (CD)
• On 8th Oct 2021 the Delhi Govt. handed over cheques of ₹1 crore to the families of 3 security forces personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty:
  • NC(E) Rajesh Kumar
  • Shri Pravesh Kumar
  • Shri Vikas Kumar
• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on 17 Mar 2022 handed over a government job certificate to deceased IB officer Ankit Sharma’s brother Ankur Sharma. He has been posted in the education department of the Delhi Government. The IB officer Ankit Sharma was found dead during the Delhi riots of Feb 2020. The family had earlier been handed over a cheque of ₹1 crore and was assured of all help in the future from the government.

(Source: Tweet by DaaruBaazMehta)

Guest/Contract Teachers

On 23rd Dec 2021: Delhi govt directed the Directorate of Education to increase remuneration of Guest, Contract Teachers.

Construction workers

• As of 16th Oct 2020, the AAP Delhi govt’s aim was to get 1 million construction workers registered under the welfare board.
• Construction workers — including plumbers and electricians employed in the construction sector, painters, tile-layers, security guards, drainage system experts, etc.— aged between 18 and 60 years are eligible for registration under the schemes of Construction Board of Delhi.
• On 20 Nov 2020, the AAP govt announced that registrations of construction labourers can also be done through the doorstep delivery system. Workers can dial 1076 and an executive will meet him or her at the doorstep to facilitate registrations.
• On 9th Nov 2021, the AAP govt launched ‘Shramik Mitra’ scheme to ensure benefits reach construction workers – These 800 shramik mitras will connect the construction workers with relevant govt schemes and ensure that no worker is left out of the schemes or deprived of any assistance.
• In 2021, the city distributed a pollution subsistence grant of ₹245 crore to 4,91,488 workers registered with the welfare board. Now, the Delhi government will be distributing ₹41.9 crore to over 83,183 newly registered construction workers.

• According to Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, construction workers who are registered with the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (DBOCWWB) before November 24, 2021, when the ban on construction was imposed, are eligible for the grant. There are 1.1 million construction workers in Delhi on last count, of whom 850,000 are registered with the board.
• After registration, all construction workers can also get the benefit of various schemes introduced for their welfare like education, health benefits, marriage, maternity, pension, etc.

Farmers

The AAP Delhi govt gives Rs 50,000 per hectare / Rs 20,000 per acre as crop compensation to farmers in case of crop damage due to hailstorm or unseasonal rain.

• On 21st Oct 2021, Arvind Kejriwal announced Rs 50,000 per hectare compensation to farmers for crop loss due to rain and promised to deposit the amount to their accounts within 3 months.

Digitization of Pension Schemes

Students of SC, ST, OBC and EWS category

The Govt of Delhi has introduced a free coaching scheme named “Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pratibha Vikas Yojana” . This is to provide free coaching classes for all competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, bank and railway recruitment, JEE and NEET for the students of SC, ST, OBC and EWS category.

More details can be found under “Education” section.

Advocates

Under the Chief Minister Advocate Welfare Fund, registered and practicing advocates who are residents of Delhi are given medical insurance, group insurance policy, e-library and creche facilities.

The budget proposed for this in 2020-21 was Rs. 50 cr.

Data Sources:

• Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) Performance Reports
• Status Reports of Outcome Budget