Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday announced that ₹ 1,291 crore in financial assistance had been transferred to the bank accounts of 37.43 lakh women under the Mukh Mantri Mawan-Dheeyan Satkar Yojana.
Addressing a gathering at Abohar in Fazilka district, Mann said as of October 29, over 80 lakh women had already registered under the scheme, and the government was working towards its ambitious target of covering 1 crore women. Highlighting the government’s performance, Mann said 70,685 government jobs had been provided on merit, more than 90% of households were receiving 300 units of free electricity monthly, and 54 lakh health cards had been issued under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana. On irrigation, Mann said canal coverage had increased from 26% to 80% since his government assumed office, with the irrigated area rising from 20.89 lakh acres in 2022 to 60.30 lakh acres.
He said there were no household-based restrictions, allowing every eligible woman in a family to receive the benefit independently. Questioning the action, Jakhar accused the government of adopting a “dictatorial attitude” and said a grieving family was being denied an opportunity to meet the chief minister.
The government had earlier disbursed ₹ 2,643.71 crore to 76.35 lakh women since the first release on July 1. With Sunday’s transfer, the cumulative assistance stood at ₹ 3,934.80 crore, according to Mann. The next instalment is scheduled for December 1, followed by a payment on January 1 covering three months’ assistance. The scheme is expected to involve an annual outlay of ₹ 12,000 crore at full coverage. Mann said 1,37,723 Satkar Sakhis facilitating registrations would receive incentives worth ₹ 51.30 crore, while Anganwadi workers involved in the process would get ₹ 25 crore.
