BJP’s Jainder Kaur questions Punjab Govt’s beneficiary figures under Mawan-Dhian Satkar scheme
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, October 2, 2026: Punjab BJP Mahila Morcha president Jainder Kaur has questioned the Punjab government’s beneficiary figures under the Mukh Mantri Mawan-Dhian Satkar Yojana, alleging discrepancies in the number of women who have received payments under the scheme.
Kaur was reacting to the state government’s reported claim that financial assistance had been deposited into the bank accounts of 73.99 lakh women.
The scheme, which provides monthly assistance of ₹1,000 to eligible women from the general and other categories and ₹1,500 to eligible Scheduled Caste women, was formally launched in July 2026. The Punjab government had earlier said that around 52 lakh women had been identified as beneficiaries, while registrations subsequently crossed 70 lakh.
Kaur alleged that the government’s figures relating to successive instalments required clarification. She said the government had earlier reported that the first payment had reached more than 35 lakh women and was now citing a figure of more than 38 lakh for the second payment.
“However, the question is whether both instalments have actually been paid to all 73.99 lakh women. The answer is clearly no,” she said.
Kaur claimed that some women who received the first payment in July had told her that the subsequent payment had not yet been credited to their bank accounts.
She also questioned the government’s explanation regarding retrospective payments. According to her, the government had stated that women registering after the scheme’s launch would also receive assistance retrospectively from July.
“If that is the case, why is the government now presenting the payments as separate first and second instalments and giving different beneficiary figures?” she asked.
Kaur further compared Punjab’s scheme with the BJP government’s Annapurna Yojana in West Bengal, claiming that eligible women there were being provided ₹3,000 per month and that payments had been deposited into the accounts of 1.30 crore women in July. This claim was not independently verified in the material available for this report.
She also cited Punjab’s estimated female population and the state government’s earlier stated target of covering more than 97 per cent of eligible women. Kaur claimed that the government’s current beneficiary figures suggested that a substantial number of women were yet to receive benefits.
The Punjab government had earlier announced that the scheme would cover more than 97 per cent of women, subject to eligibility criteria. The government also said eligible women registering later would receive payments retrospectively from July 1.
Kaur has sought clarification from the state government on the number of women who have actually received each instalment and the total number of eligible beneficiaries covered so far.