Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday declared 2026 as the “year of freedom and empowerment” for women in the state, with the government seeking to expand economic opportunities and financial independence for women. Mann made the announcement while addressing the state-level Independence Day function at Cantt Board Stadium in the border town of Ferozepur, where he unfurled the national Tricolour. Mann said more than 65 lakh women had already received financial assistance under the Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna, which he described as an important step towards giving women greater control over their finances.
According to figures cited by the chief minister, 74.59 lakh women have registered under the scheme, while Rs 2,274 crore in Satkar Raashi has been transferred to the bank accounts of 65.62 lakh beneficiaries. He appealed to women who have not yet registered to avail themselves of the scheme. The chief minister said the government's broader empowerment agenda extended beyond financial assistance and included education, healthcare, employment for young people, irrigation, public safety and efforts to combat drug abuse. He also stressed the importance of maintaining peace, brotherhood and communal harmony in Punjab. Referring to the state's border population, Mann said the contribution and services of people living along Punjab's border would always be remembered.
Speaking about Partition, Mann recalled the suffering of families who were forced to leave their homes and said Punjabis continued to hope for easier access to religious shrines that remained across the border. He also highlighted Punjab's contribution to India's freedom struggle, claiming that more than 80 per cent of those who faced execution, life imprisonment or exile to Kala Pani were Punjabis. Mann warned that people in the state would not allow forces seeking to disturb Punjab's peace and social harmony to gain ground. Mann also highlighted the government's pilgrimage, healthcare and education initiatives.
Also Read: Beant Singh’s Grandson Joins Bhagwant Mann In Backing Convict Hawara’s Parole
Under the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojna, he said more than four lakh pilgrims had travelled to destinations including Anandpur Sahib, Naina Devi and Amritsar, with journeys also being facilitated to Haridwar-Rishikesh, Khatu Shyam-Salasar Balaji and Mathura-Vrindavan. He said Rs 100 crore had been allocated for year-long programmes marking the 650th Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Ravidass Maharaj. On healthcare, Mann said the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna provided cashless treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh for every family. More than three lakh patients had received treatment worth Rs 1,100 crore under the scheme, he claimed. He also said 1,090 Aam Aadmi Clinics were operational across Punjab, recording around 92,000 patients daily and a cumulative footfall of nearly six crore.
Education was another major focus of the chief minister's address. Mann claimed Punjab had surpassed Kerala to become the country's top-performing state in education. He said 882 government-school students had cleared NEET, while 361 qualified in JEE Mains and 64 cleared JEE Advanced. He added that teachers and school principals were being sent to Singapore, Finland and Ahmedabad for training, while Schools of Eminence were being used to improve educational opportunities for students. Mann said bus services were being provided to 15,000 girls travelling to and from school, while private schools would not be permitted to raise fees by more than five per cent.
He said the measure had benefited more than 32 lakh students studying in around 7,800 private schools. Under the Meri Rasoi Scheme, ration kits containing pulses, sugar, salt, turmeric powder and mustard oil were also being distributed along with wheat to 40 lakh needy families. The chief minister also highlighted irrigation and employment initiatives. He said the state government had spent Rs 7,200 crore to expand canal water availability, increasing the area receiving canal irrigation from 26 per cent to 80 per cent. According to Mann, canal water was now reaching 60.30 lakh acres, compared with 20.89 lakh acres in 2022, including 1,587 villages that had previously not received canal water.
On employment, he said the government had provided more than 69,000 government jobs to young people strictly on merit through what he described as a transparent “No Cash, No Farmaish” system. Mann also said the government's anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nashean Virudh, had completed 500 days. During this period, he claimed, 56,394 cases had been registered against drug traffickers and more than 75,000 alleged traffickers had been arrested. Through his Independence Day address, Mann presented the government's women-focused economic agenda alongside its initiatives in education, healthcare, irrigation, employment and public welfare, positioning 2026 as a year centred on greater empowerment and economic independence for Punjab's women.
Also Read: BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon Vows to Clear Punjab Employees' DA Dues If Voted In