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Punjab govt okays cash dole scheme for women; aadhaar, voter ID must
Women aged 18 years or above, registered as a voter in Punjab and possessing a valid aadhaar card reflecting Punjab residency along with a valid voter ID issued by the Election Commission of India, shall be eligible to be enrolled as a beneficiary under the scheme, according to a press release.
The Punjab cabinet on Sunday took several key decisions, including paving the way for the launch of the Mukh Mantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana, ensuring a monthly financial assistance of ₹1,000 to all eligible women aged 18 and above and ₹1,500 to women from Scheduled Castes.
Women aged 18 years or above, registered as a voter in Punjab and possessing a valid aadhaar card reflecting Punjab residency along with a valid voter ID issued by the Election Commission of India, shall be eligible to be enrolled as a beneficiary under the scheme, according to a press release.
The scheme will be rolled out from April 1 and the registration process will start from April 13 (Baisakhi).
The decision was taken at a meeting of the council of ministers chaired by chief minister Bhagwant Mann.
Highlighting the scale of the initiative, the CM office in a release said: “The scheme is expected to benefit more than 97% of women, making it one of the most comprehensive women-centric social protection initiatives in the country. The scheme represents a landmark step towards ensuring direct economic support to women across the state.”
The scheme has been designed as a direct benefit transfer (DBT) initiative, under which financial assistance will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries. There will be no restriction on the number of eligible women in a family who may avail benefits under the scheme, and existing social security pensioners will also continue to receive full financial benefits under this scheme in addition to their pensions, enhancing its reach and impact. A sum of ₹9,300 crore has already been sanctioned in the budget for the scheme, according to the press release.
Nod to fill 70 posts in planning dept
The cabinet also accorded approval to fill 70 direct posts in the department of planning. The process for merger of the economic policy and planning board and the directorate of statistics, Punjab, has already been initiated. In view of this exercise, the requirement on vacant posts to be filled has been revised, the press release stated.
Terms for appointment of CMDs, directors of PSPCL, PSTCL tweaked
The cabinet also gave approval to amend the “terms regarding qualifications and experience required for the appointment of chairman-cum-managing directors (CMDs) and directors of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL).
The cabinet gave a green signal to appoint statutory manpower and supporting staff by the PSPCL on contract basis for operation and maintenance of Pachhwara central coal mine in Jharkhand. It was also decided to constitute an empowered committee comprising the administrative secretary as chairman and CMD and director/generation, PSPCL, as members.
Policy for conversion of leasehold industrial plots
The cabinet gave consent to amendments in the policy for conversion of leasehold industrial plots, sheds to freehold. Industrial plots mortgaged with banks or financial institutions shall be eligible for conversion to freehold, subject to submission of a no objection certificate from the bank concerned and compliance with prescribed safeguards. A conversion fee of 5% shall be applicable where the current title documents do not contain any clause relating to unearned increase, irrespective of its presence in earlier title documents.
The cabinet gave nod to introduce the Punjab Common Infrastructure (Regulation and Maintenance) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to comprehensively reform the Punjab Common Infrastructure (Regulation and Maintenance) Act, 2012, to strengthen the effectiveness, transparency and financial sustainability of special purpose vehicles (SPVs) for better management of industrial areas across Punjab.
Nod to desilting in Sutlej for NHAI projects
The cabinet gave nod for relaxing the conditions for desilting in Sutlej to provide simple earth to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the construction of various highway projects in the state. This is part of various initiatives being taken by the department of water resources involving the excavation of longitudinal channels in major rivers across Punjab as part of its broader river management and flood mitigation efforts.
