Chandigarh, March 8 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday announced that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has fulfilled its biggest electoral promise, unveiling the ‘Mukh Mantri Mawaan Dhian Satkar Yojna’ to provide monthly financial assistance to women across Punjab.

Under the scheme, women will receive Rs 1,000 per month, while women from Scheduled Caste communities will receive Rs 1,500, with Rs 9,300 crore earmarked in the state Budget for its implementation.

Describing the move as a major step towards strengthening women’s financial independence, the CM said the AAP government’s “Saari Guarantiyan Puri” Budget reflects its commitment to delivering on poll promises while expanding welfare measures such as free bus travel, free power and cashless healthcare to empower women and support households across the state.

Interacting with the media after laying of the Budget for 2026-27 by Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, CM Mann congratulated the mothers, daughters and sisters of Punjab and prayed that they continue to script new success stories in every field.

He said the Budget was presented on the day with a special focus on women, fulfilling a key promise made by the AAP government to empower them socially and economically.

“The Budget is pro-people and ensures that women and other sections of society receive support through welfare measures and public services,” he said.

“The AAP government has fulfilled the biggest poll promise made to the people. Women in the state will now receive Rs 1,000 per month under the Mukh Mantri Mawaan Dhian Satikar Yojna, while women belonging to the Scheduled Caste community will get Rs 1,500 every month,” said CM Mann.

He added that special camps will be organised across the state so that women can easily complete the formalities required to avail the benefit of the scheme.

He said the registration process for the financial assistance scheme will begin from Baisakhi and will be carried out on a war footing so that all eligible beneficiaries can be covered at the earliest.

Every girl above the age of 18 years will be entitled to receive the benefit under the scheme, ensuring that a vast majority of women in the state are covered.

Describing the Budget as a milestone document, CM Mann said it reflected the government’s commitment to the welfare of the people and the progress of the state.

“This is not merely a Budget but an affidavit of the progress of the state and the prosperity of its people,” he said, congratulating Finance Minister Cheema for presenting a Budget that takes care of every section of society.

Taking a dig at previous governments, he said earlier Budgets often remained confined to announcements on paper and failed to deliver meaningful benefits to the people.

During the tenure of earlier regimes, the Budgets were limited to rhetoric and poetic references rather than concrete policies aimed at improving the lives of citizens.

–IANS

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