CHANDIGARH – In a landmark move on International Women’s Day, Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government unveiled the ‘Mukhyamantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana’, fulfilling a key electoral promise to empower women across the state. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema announced during his budget speech in the Punjab Assembly that general category adult women will receive ₹1,000 monthly, while Scheduled Caste women get ₹1,500, directly into their bank accounts.
This ambitious scheme is set to cover nearly 97% of adult women in Punjab, marking it as potentially the world’s first universal cash transfer program of its scale. With a whopping ₹9,300 crore allocated in the 2026-27 budget, the initiative excludes only permanent government employees, former MPs/MLAs, and income tax payers, but notably includes those already on existing pensions like old age or widow schemes.
Presenting the fifth budget under AAP rule, Cheema proposed a total outlay of ₹2,60,437 crore, balancing fiscal prudence with welfare. The effective revenue deficit is projected at 2.06% of GSDP and fiscal deficit at 4.08%, signaling responsible financial management amid development pushes.
The assembly buzzed with significance on Women’s Day, attended by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s mother Harpal Kaur Mann, wife Gurpreet Kaur Mann, and others. Cheema emphasized AAP’s track record in free electricity, healthcare, education, and social security, hailing this as India’s largest women empowerment initiative.
‘Progress of any nation hinges on its women,’ Cheema quoted Mann, underscoring the scheme’s aim to boost economic independence, family decision-making, health, nutrition, and girls’ education. He contrasted Punjab’s broad coverage with limited schemes elsewhere, like a neighbor state’s 20% cap for families earning under ₹1 lakh annually.
No more will daughters beg for college books, coaching fees, or small joys like cinema or toys for grandkids, Cheema declared poetically. ‘Their son, Bhagwant Mann, will send ₹1,000-1,500 monthly.’ Complementing this, free bus travel for women continues, with 12 crore rides logged last year alone, proving its vital role in mobility.
Critics may question sustainability, but the government envisions transformed lives: financially secure women driving family and societal progress. As Punjab charts this bold path, it sets a benchmark for gender-focused fiscal policy nationwide.