Chandigarh, March 8, 2026
Fulfilling one of crucial poll promise of providing the financial support to every women, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab on Sunday announced a monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 for those belonging to the general category and Rs 1,500 for Scheduled Caste (SC) under the Mukhya Mantri Mawan Dhiyan Satikar Yojana, enabling 97 per cent of all adult women to avail the scheme.
For this, a dedicated budgetary outlay of Rs 9,300 crore has been earmarked in 2026-27.
Presenting the Budget in the state Assembly on International Women’s Day, Finance Minister Harpal Cheema in his fifth Budget speech proposed a total budget expenditure of Rs 260,437 crore for 2026-27.
“The effective revenue deficit is estimated at 2.06 per cent of the GSDP and the fiscal deficit at 4.08 per cent of GSDP. These estimates reaffirm our resolve to combine responsible fiscal management with sustained support for economic growth and public welfare,” he said.
To mark the Women’s Day, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s mother Harpal Kaur Mann, his wife Gurpreet Kaur Mann, Finance Minister Cheema’s wife Manjit Kaur and state Women Commission Chairperson Raj Lalli Gill were present in the House, among others.
The Finance Minister in his speech in Hindi said the government has systematically fulfilled its (poll) guarantees — in electricity, healthcare, education and social protection.
“Today, we complete that circle. On the august occasion of the International Women’s Day, it is time now to announce the biggest ever women empowerment scheme in the history of India. Guided by the vision of our Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann that any country can make progress only if the women progress, I am proud to announce the implementation of a new scheme, ‘Mukh Mantri Mawan Dhian Satikar Yojna’, under which the government will transfer Rs 1,000 per month directly to the accounts of all adult women,” Cheema said.
“Moreover, for women belonging to the SC community, the Bhagwant Mann government will transfer Rs 1,500 per month directly to their account,” he said.
Cheema said this would be not just India’s but world’s first universal cash transfer scheme for women.
“Every woman in Punjab above 18 years of age will be eligible to enroll under this scheme barring only few i.e. existing or past permanent government employees, existing and past MPs or MLAs and income tax-payees. Even women enrolled under existing social security pension schemes e.g. old-age pension or widow or destitute women pension or disability pension scheme will be eligible under this scheme,” the state Finance Minister said.
In all, he said, around 97 per cent of all adult women in Punjab will be eligible under this scheme, which is the highest for any state in India.
“This initiative seeks to promote economic independence, strengthen women’s role in household decision-making, improve health and nutritional outcomes, and encourage continued education and higher aspirations among girls,” Finance Minister Cheema said.
“It affirms our belief that empowerment must reflect in tangible financial security and greater dignity for women across Punjab,” he said.
The Finance Minister said many states have started the “jumla” of announcing similar schemes but they limit it only to a small section of women, ignoring the vast majority of women who are financially dependent on men for their most basic needs.
Quoting an example, he said “one of our neighboring states announced a similar scheme but limited it only to households with annual income under Rs 1 lakh covering only 20 per cent of all adult women. But Punjab will not do such jumlas. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is not a Chief Minister for 20 per cent women of Punjab, but to all the women of Punjab. That is why we have decided to become the first state to ensure all adult women are covered under the scheme.”
“So, whether she is a daughter studying in college needing extra books, a daughter preparing for a government job needing coaching, or a woman wishing to watch a movie in a cinema hall or a grandma wishing to buy a new toy for her grand-daughter, now they won’t have to ask for money from anyone for their expenses because their elder brother, their son Bhagwant Mann will deposit Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 every month into their bank account,” Cheema said.
In addition to this direct financial support, the government will continue the free bus travel facility for women across Punjab, which has become a vital instrument of mobility, access and opportunity.
He said in the last year alone, approximately 12 crore free journeys have been undertaken by women under this initiative, reflecting its wide acceptance and social impact.(Agency)
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