Opposition parties on Wednesday strongly criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab for what they termed the “delayed” rollout of the Mukh Mantri Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana, a scheme promising Rs 1,000 per month to women. The scheme, which began payments on July 1, was originally promised by the AAP during the 2022 assembly elections.
Congress demands full arrears
Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, argued that merely starting monthly payments does not compensate for years of inaction. “The government cannot erase four-and-a-half years of inaction by simply launching the scheme today. Every eligible woman deserves the full arrears of Rs 54,000,” he said, referring to the total amount that would have been paid if the scheme had started in 2022.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring called the move “too little, too late.” He calculated that even if payments continue for the remaining six months of the AAP government’s term, Dalit 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, respectively, that they should have received over five years.
SAD accuses government of betrayal
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann “not to dupe women” and demanded that Rs 55,000 be deposited directly into their bank accounts. He noted that instead of fulfilling the full promise, only a section of women had been given Rs 3,000 as a three-month instalment. “This amounts to betraying the women, who are waiting since the past four-and-a-half years for the release of the entire benefit due to them,” Badal added.
Background of the scheme
The Mukh Mantri Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana was a key poll promise of the AAP ahead of the 2022 Punjab assembly elections. The scheme aims to provide Rs 1,000 per month to women heads of households. However, its implementation was delayed, leading to criticism from opposition parties who accuse the government of breaking its word.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched the scheme at a public event in Dhuri on Wednesday, but the opposition remains unconvinced, demanding immediate payment of all arrears to eligible women across the state.
