Senior Congress leaders on Wednesday demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab immediately clear Rs 54,000 in arrears for every eligible woman under the Mukh Mantri Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana, which was rolled out after a delay of over four and a half years. Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring accused the Bhagwant Mann government of betraying women by failing to honour its flagship 2022 election promise of Rs 1,000 monthly financial assistance.
Congress Questions Timing and Eligibility Restrictions
Bajwa asserted that merely commencing payments from July 1 cannot absolve the government of its prolonged inaction. “The Mann government cannot erase four and a half years of inaction by simply starting the scheme today. Every eligible woman deserves the full arrears of Rs 54,000,” he said. He pointed out that the AAP had projected the scheme as one of its principal electoral guarantees but failed to implement it despite securing a massive mandate in 2022. Bajwa also criticised the government for introducing eligibility restrictions, such as excluding income-tax payers, government employees, and pensioners, after coming to power.
Randhawa Questions Timing and Demands DA for Employees
Randhawa questioned the timing of the rollout, asking why the scheme was not implemented soon after the AAP formed the government. “If the government has money, why is the Dearness Allowance (DA) still pending for employees and pensioners?” he asked, demanding immediate release of pending DA along with women’s arrears. He said women were not seeking any political favour but what was rightfully theirs. “Punjab’s mothers and sisters are entitled to benefits from 2022, not just before the 2027 elections,” Randhawa added.
Warring Calls Move 'Too Little, Too Late'
Warring termed the move “too little, too late” and accused the AAP of committing fraud with women. He noted that even if payments continue for the remaining six months of the government’s term, Scheduled Caste women would receive only Rs 9,000 and general category women Rs 6,000 — a mere 10 per cent of the Rs 90,000 and Rs 60,000 they should have got over five years. The PCC chief announced that the Congress, if voted to power in 2027, would implement an enhanced women’s cash assistance scheme on the lines of Telangana (Rs 2,500 per month) and Karnataka (Rs 2,000 per month). “Congress did not wait till the end of its term in those states. We started payments within months of forming the government,” he said.
Congress Plans Statewide Campaign
Congress leaders said the party would launch a statewide campaign to expose the AAP’s “breach of faith” and highlight how the ruling party allegedly diluted and delayed its own election guarantee. The scheme, officially named Mukh Mantri Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana, was a key promise in the AAP's 2022 election manifesto, offering Rs 1,000 per month to women. The delay in implementation has become a major political issue in Punjab, with the Congress accusing the AAP of failing to deliver on its commitments.
