Chandigarh: Ludhiana has emerged as the district with the highest number of beneficiaries under the state govt’s Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana, with 7.4 lakh beneficiaries enrolled so far. Across Punjab, 68.9 lakh beneficiaries had been registered for the scheme till Tuesday.Ludhiana is followed by Patiala (5.3 lakh beneficiaries), Amritsar (4.9 lakh), Jalandhar (4.8 lakh), Gurdaspur (4.4 lakh), and Hoshiarpur (4.2 lakh). Malerkotla has recorded the lowest number, with 1.3 lakh beneficiaries. A monthly stipend of Rs 1,000 is given to general category and Rs 1,500 to SC women under the scheme.Punjab minister for social security, Baljit Kaur, said the higher enrolment figures in districts could be attributed to several factors, including larger populations, stronger administrative networks and greater public awareness about welfare programmes.Population size remains one of the key reasons behind the higher enrolment numbers. These districts have larger urban and rural populations, more assembly constituencies and a greater number of eligible families, naturally increasing the pool of beneficiaries. Major cities such as Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar also attract residents from neighbouring districts for employment, education and livelihood opportunities, contributing to a larger resident population, she said. A significant proportion of households in these districts belong to rural areas and economically weaker sections, increasing eligibility under welfare schemes designed to support families with girl children. In comparison, districts with smaller populations, like Malerkotla, have recorded fewer beneficiaries. Their lower population and comparatively smaller number of eligible households are among the key reasons for the lower registration figures, she claimed.
