Punjab CM announces monthly Rs1,100 financial aid for women

CHANDIGARH, Sep 21: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has announced that women in the state will soon receive Rs1,100 per month as part of a financial assistance scheme. The initiative, a key promise from the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) 2022 assembly election manifesto, is expected to be rolled out in the state budget next March.

In a recent television interview, CM Mann stated that the government has already fulfilled several election promises and is now focusing on implementing this women's empowerment scheme. The announcement comes after repeated criticism from opposition parties, who have labeled the delay in delivering this promise as a failure of the AAP government.

During the 2022 Punjab assembly elections, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had pledged that, if elected, the party would provide Rs1,000 per month to every woman above 18 years of age in Punjab. The promise, later increased to Rs1,100 during a public rally in Hoshiarpur ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, was branded as the "Women Empowerment Scheme." Other election promises, such as free electricity and water, were implemented soon after AAP's landslide victory, securing 92 of the 117 assembly seats.

With Punjab's population estimated at around 3 crore, approximately 70-75 lakh women may be eligible for the scheme. This would require an annual budget of roughly Rs10,000 crore, posing a significant financial challenge for the state government. The administration is already managing the costs of other major initiatives, including 300 units of free electricity per month, improved healthcare, and upgrading government schools to match private institutions.

AAP leaders have defended the timeline, emphasizing that they have a five-year mandate to fulfill all promises and did not specify deadlines for implementation. The government remains confident in delivering the women's financial aid scheme within its term, despite the fiscal pressures.

(UNI )