The Punjab government has unveiled a major welfare scheme for women in the state as part of the 2026–27 Budget. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema announced that women across Punjab will receive financial assistance of ₹1,000 per month, while women belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community will receive ₹1,500 every month. The initiative fulfills a key election promise made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.
The announcement was made while presenting the state budget in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh on Sunday. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was also present during the budget session. The scheme, named Mukh Mantri Mawan Dhian Satikar Yojna, aims to provide direct financial support to women by transferring funds directly into their bank accounts.
This welfare programme is being rolled out nearly four years after the AAP government came to power in Punjab. According to the finance minister, the scheme will cover a vast majority of women in the state. Cheema stated that around 97 percent of adult women in Punjab will be eligible for the benefit, making it one of the most extensive financial assistance programmes for women in the country.
Under the scheme, every woman aged 18 years and above can enroll to receive the monthly payment. However, some categories have been excluded from the benefit. Women who are current or former permanent government employees, current or former Members of Parliament (MPs) or Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), and income tax payees will not be eligible for the scheme.
Importantly, women who are already receiving social security pensions—such as old-age pension, widow pension, destitute women pension, or disability pension—will still be eligible to receive the monthly assistance under the new programme. The government believes that the additional financial support will help strengthen the economic independence of women and enhance their role in family decision-making.
Cheema emphasized that the initiative is not merely a welfare scheme but a step toward empowering women across Punjab. The government hopes the financial support will help women meet everyday expenses, improve health and nutrition within families, and encourage education and career aspirations among girls.
The announcement coincided with International Women’s Day, adding symbolic importance to the government’s commitment toward women’s empowerment. Interestingly, this was also the first time that the Punjab state budget was presented on a Sunday.
While presenting the budget, Cheema also took a swipe at rival political parties. He said that several states have announced similar schemes but restrict them to a limited section of women based on strict income criteria. According to him, such policies leave out a large number of women who remain financially dependent on others.
He argued that the Punjab government has chosen a different approach by making the scheme nearly universal. The finance minister stated that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann intends to support women across the state rather than limiting the benefits to a small group.
To ensure smooth implementation of the programme, the government has allocated ₹9,300 crore in the 2026–27 budget. Officials say the funds will be used to ensure timely and transparent transfer of money directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
The rollout of the scheme also comes amid growing pressure from opposition parties such as the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, and BJP. Opposition leaders have repeatedly accused the AAP government of delaying its promise of giving ₹1,000 per month to women after coming to power in 2022.
Opposition parties have further demanded that the government compensate women with ₹48,000, claiming that the promised monthly assistance should have been paid over the past four years. The government, however, maintains that the scheme’s launch marks a major milestone in fulfilling its electoral commitments.
With the introduction of the Mukh Mantri Mawan Dhian Satikar Yojna, the Punjab government hopes to deliver meaningful financial support to women while strengthening their economic independence and dignity.