Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced that women registered under the state government’s Mukh Mantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna will begin receiving monthly financial assistance from July 1. The scheme, aimed at providing direct income support to women, is expected to benefit a large section of the state’s female population through direct bank transfers.

Under the initiative, women belonging to the general category will receive ₹1,000 per month, while beneficiaries from Scheduled Castes will receive ₹1,500 per month. The Chief Minister said the funds will be directly credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts, ensuring transparency and eliminating intermediaries in the disbursement process.

Mann stated that approximately 52 lakh women have been identified as potential beneficiaries, with around 36 lakh already issued registration cards under the scheme. He added that nearly 97 per cent of women in Punjab are expected to benefit, making it one of the state’s largest direct benefit transfer programmes for women. The government has reportedly allocated ₹9,300 crore in the state budget for its implementation.

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Eligibility criteria for the scheme include women aged 18 years and above who are registered voters in Punjab and possess valid Aadhaar cards reflecting state residency. The government has also deployed around two lakh Mahila Satkar Sakhis to assist in the identification and registration of eligible beneficiaries across the state.

However, certain categories have been excluded from the scheme, including regular and retired government employees of the Centre, state and other state or Union Territory governments, as well as elected representatives such as MLAs and MPs and their spouses. Officials said these exclusions were made to prioritise economically and socially vulnerable groups.

The financial assistance programme was a key electoral promise of the Aam Aadmi Party during the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. Mann said the scheme would play an important role in strengthening women’s financial independence and improving household welfare. He added that empowering women economically would contribute to greater participation in social and decision-making processes while enhancing dignity and financial security across households in the state.

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