Dhuri (Sangrur), September 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday said women would once again receive the benefit of the Maavan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna from October 1, while highlighting his government’s initiatives in employment, irrigation, education, electricity and public welfare.
Addressing a Lok Milni in Balian, Sangrur, Mann said the notification for the Sanman Rashi would once again ring on women’s mobile phones on October 1. He said Dalit women were receiving ₹1,500 per month against the earlier promised amount of ₹1,000.
Mann said his government had shifted the focus of governance towards ordinary citizens, farmers, youth, women and students. He alleged that politics in Punjab had for decades remained centred around a handful of families and said people were now demanding accountability and development.
Targeting the BJP, Mann questioned how the party could seek votes in Punjab after the deaths of 750 farmers. He also criticised the political positions of the Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress, alleging that political parties were coming together primarily to oppose the AAP government.
The Chief Minister said employment generation remained a major priority of his government. He claimed that around 71,000 government jobs had been provided purely on merit and asserted that no money had been taken from anyone for recruitment.
On electricity, Mann said the government’s 300-unit free power scheme for domestic consumers, announced in 2022, continued to provide relief to households. He also highlighted the importance of Punjab’s own power infrastructure, including the Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power Plant at Lehra Mohabbat.
Mann said public money was being used for roads, schools, hospitals and other development works instead of being lost through what he described as fiscal leakages. He said women had told him that financial assistance was being used for children’s education, household needs and other essential expenses.
On Punjab’s water crisis, the Chief Minister said his government had focused on expanding canal irrigation and reducing dependence on groundwater. He said around 14,000 km of pipelines had been laid and claimed canal-water utilisation had increased from about 22 per cent to 88 per cent.
He further claimed that groundwater levels had improved by one to five metres in several areas, saying the government had disproved predictions that Punjab would eventually turn into a desert.
Mann said the government had invested heavily in irrigation infrastructure, with the investment previously estimated at around ₹6,700 crore, along with the construction of pipelines and watercourses.
On education, the Chief Minister said Punjab had moved from 27th position in education indicators when his government assumed office to the top position in the NITI Aayog education assessment. He said teachers were being sent for training programmes in places including Finland, Singapore and IIMs, while Schools of Eminence had been established.
Mann also cited the 2026 NEET results, claiming that 882 students from Punjab government schools qualified, compared with around 80 in 2021.
He said the success of students from government schools was particularly significant for families of labourers, small shopkeepers, rickshaw drivers and vegetable vendors. According to Mann, education and employment were among the most effective means of helping economically weaker families improve their living standards.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojna, under which buses are taking pilgrims to religious places across the country.
Mann said Punjab’s problems had accumulated over several decades and could not be resolved overnight. He said the government would continue to focus on education, employment, healthcare, irrigation, electricity, roads, sports and social welfare.
He appealed to people to assess political parties on the basis of their work and said Punjab belonged to its people, with governments remaining accountable to them.
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