Ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, the AAP government in Punjab made a major electoral move. After nearly four years of waiting, it announced a monthly allowance of ₹1,000 for every woman over the age of 18.
With this announcement, the AAP directly targeted women voters. Women constitute approximately 50% of the electorate in Punjab. The timing of the scheme's launch was precise to prevent the opposition from swaying them before the next election.
The "Chief Minister Mawan-Dhiyan Satkar Scheme," also known as the Chief Minister's Mother-Daughter Respect Scheme, prioritizes Dalit women. The government will provide them with ₹1,500 per month, or ₹500 more than the general category.
Although the AAP may face criticism from women for making an election promise in 2022 and announcing it just before the elections, the government will undoubtedly create a positive atmosphere by demonstrating that the government fulfilled its promise during its term.
Why is women important in the Punjab elections?
Punjab has a total of 21.2 million voters, who vote to elect MLAs in 117 assembly seats. Of these, 10.7 million are women. The AAP government has tried to directly connect with them, which is why the scheme didn't impose many conditions.
The government claims that everyone except government employees, MLAs, and MPs will benefit from this scheme. Given the electoral constraints, the AAP government even agreed to provide double benefits to pensioners, such as old-age and widow pensioners. The government argues that this scheme will cover 97% of women.
The issue was snatched from the Congress and Akalis, and the BJP will have to answer for itself.
Of all the guarantees that the AAP had promised for the 2022 elections, this was one of the biggest guarantees that was pending. The Congress and Akali Dal were making it an issue, but now it has slipped out of their hands. However, they will definitely ask for the ₹48,000 for the last five years. However, it's difficult to say how many women will participate in this.
The BJP government in Haryana claimed that it had fulfilled its promise of providing women ₹2,100 per month as soon as it came to power. However, the AAP government questioned this, stating that the BJP had imposed an income limit of ₹1 lakh, which only benefited 20% of women. In contrast, they are covering 97% of women. The BJP had been questioning the AAP in Punjab about this; now they will have to answer the conditions.
Why did the AAP government provide Dalit women ₹500 more? The answer lies in the Congress's dominance in Punjab's Dalit politics and the BJP's inroads. The AAP, which secured a landslide victory in 2022 by winning 92 out of 117 seats in Punjab, suffered a setback in Punjab's Dalit belt, Doaba. In Malwa, the AAP, which won 62 out of 69 seats, faced a tough competition from the Congress.
AAP won only 10 out of 23 seats in Doaba. Congress had won 9 seats in a close contest. Even in 2027, AAP's path here seemed difficult. Especially after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dera Sachkhand Ballan, the BJP's entry into the Ravidassia community was visible. In such a situation, along with Congress's difficulties, AAP also faced a challenge from the BJP. AAP has made every effort to woo Dalits by prioritizing women from the Scheduled Caste category.
BJP has benefited in many states
This scheme of providing direct cash assistance to women has benefited the BJP in many states. In Madhya Pradesh, the Ladli Behna scheme brought the government back to power. In Bihar, the BJP also transferred money to women's accounts before the elections. It was announced in Delhi, and the BJP benefited from it in Haryana. AAP has adopted a similar strategy because the benefits to women from all sections will have an impact on the entire state. This is likely to benefit AAP in all 117 seats.
Now find out what the Finance Minister said during the announcement.
Money will be deposited directly into bank accounts.
Finance Minister Harpal Cheema announced that the "Chief Minister Mawan-Dhiyan Satkar Yojana" has been launched on International Women's Day. Under this scheme, every adult woman in Punjab will receive ₹1,000 per month directly into her bank account. Additionally, women from the Scheduled Caste community will receive ₹1,500 per month directly into their accounts. Finance Minister Cheema stated, "I want to clarify that this scheme will be the first direct benefit transfer (universal cash transfer) scheme for women, not just in India but in the entire world. Every woman above the age of 18 in Punjab will be able to register under this scheme."
Government employees, MPs, and MLAs will not benefit.
Cheema stated that only certain categories of women are excluded from this scheme, including current or former permanent government employees, current or former MPs/MLAs, and women who pay income tax. Furthermore, women already receiving social security pension schemes such as old-age pension, widow/destitute women pension, or disability pension will also be eligible.
Cheema stated that approximately 97% of adult women in Punjab will be covered under this scheme, the highest coverage in any state in India. The initiative aims to empower women financially, strengthen their role in household decisions, improve health and nutrition, and encourage girls to pursue education and dream big.
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