Fatehgarh Sahib: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday said the financial assistance under the Maavan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna may not make women “rich”, but would give them “dignity, self-respect and confidence”. Addressing a Lok Milni programme after inaugurating development works in Chanarthal Kalan village of Fatehgarh Sahib constituency, he reiterated that the first instalment under the scheme would be credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts on July 1. Mann said women beneficiaries would receive payments for the first three months under the scheme in a single instalment.“On July 1, women beneficiaries above the age of 18 years will receive notifications on their mobile phones informing them about the financial assistance being credited to their accounts. The money will be transferred directly into their bank accounts without any middlemen,” he said.Women from the general category will receive Rs 3,000 and Scheduled Caste women Rs 4,500 as the first instalment. Mann said women already receiving social security pensions would also be eligible under the scheme.“This financial assistance may not make women rich, but it will certainly give them dignity, self-respect and confidence,” he said, adding that strengthening women’s financial autonomy was essential for improving household welfare, promoting gender equity and enhancing women’s participation in social and economic decision-making.The chief minister claimed that nearly 97% of women in Punjab were expected to benefit from the initiative and said the state had made a budgetary provision of Rs 9,300 crore for the scheme.Mann also said his govt would not allow any genuine vote to be deleted during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. “We are fully vigilant and will not allow the nefarious designs of the saffron party to succeed. Every genuine voter in Punjab will be protected,” he said.
