The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab is set to introduce the Mukh Mantri Mawan Dhian Satikar Yojna, under which the state will provide monthly financial assistance to adult women. The scheme was one of the key guarantees made by the party ahead of the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.
Under the scheme, the Punjab government will transfer Rs 1000 per month directly into the bank accounts of women above the age of 18 through direct benefit transfer. Women belonging to the Scheduled Caste community will receive Rs 1500 per month under the programme.
According to the government’s proposal, every woman in Punjab above 18 years of age will be eligible to enroll under the scheme with a few exceptions. Existing or former permanent government employees, existing or former Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly, and women who are income tax payees will not be eligible to avail the benefit.
However, women already receiving social security pensions such as old age pension, widow or destitute women pension and disability pension will remain eligible to enroll under the scheme.
The government has said that nearly 97 percent of all adult women in Punjab are expected to be covered under the programme, making it one of the most extensive cash transfer schemes for women among Indian states.
The financial assistance will be credited directly into the beneficiaries’ bank accounts after enrollment under the scheme, which the government says is aimed at strengthening the financial independence and dignity of women across Punjab.
