Chandigarh: The Punjab government on Tuesday began transferring ₹1,100 crore to the bank accounts of women aged 18 years and above under its monthly financial assistance scheme. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched the initiative from Dhuri in Sangrur district.
Under the scheme, women from the general category will receive ₹1,000 per month, while women belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) category will receive ₹1,500 per month. As the first instalment, the government is releasing payments for three months together.
Accordingly, eligible women from the general category will receive ₹3,000, while SC beneficiaries will get ₹4,500 directly into their bank accounts.
Confirming the rollout, Chief Minister Mann said the amount would start reflecting in beneficiaries’ accounts after 12 noon, once the banking process is completed. He added that around 40 lakh women have already registered under the scheme, while those registering later will also receive benefits from July onwards.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had promised ahead of the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections that every woman aged 18 years and above would receive ₹1,000 per month if the party came to power. Although the promise remained pending for nearly four years, the government has now implemented the scheme ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The Punjab government had allocated ₹9,300 crore for the scheme in its annual Budget.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal, have criticised the timing of the scheme, alleging it has been introduced with elections in mind. They have also demanded that the government pay arrears for the previous four-and-a-half years.
Responding to the criticism, the AAP government has maintained that it was elected for a five-year term and is fulfilling its election promise within its tenure.
