Norms for seeking Annashree scheme eased

Poor people seeking benefit under the Annashree scheme of Delhi government will now be able to get income certificate from MLAs and MPs or can submit an affidavit about their earning under liberalized norms for availing the benefit.
Under the scheme, monthly cash subsidy of Rs 600 is transferred directly into Aadhaar-linked bank account of the senior-most female member of the beneficiary families. The scheme was launched in December last year and so far 1.20 lakh beneficiaries have been included under it.
A meeting of Delhi cabinet, presided by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, today decided to liberalise norms for issuance of income certificates to applicants of Annashree scheme.

"In order to make it broad-based, the cabinet decided to dispense with the condition of submitting an annual income certificate from the sub divisional magistrates," Dikshit said.
Dikshit said it has been decided that an affidavit or a certificate of an MLA or an MP concerned would be an admissible document for proof of income for the applicants of the scheme.
Any household, whose head has been a resident of Delhi for at least three years and the annual family income is not more than Rs 1 lakh, will be eligible for benefit under the scheme.
Dikshit expressed confidence that relaxation of the criteria for procuring income certificate would help include more people under the scheme.

The cabinet also decided to allow continuation of a number of educational institutions functioning in non-conforming areas for another academic year.