Chandigarh: The Punjab govt has officially notified the ‘Mukh Mantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana’, introducing a monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000 for all women aged 18 and above and Rs 1,500 for those from the Scheduled Caste (SC) category. To be eligible, beneficiaries must be registered resident voters in Punjab and possess a valid Aadhaar card and state voter ID.According to the notification issued on April 2, women who paid even Rs 1 in income tax in the last financial year, as well as current or former ministers, MPs, MLAs and their spouses, are ineligible for the benefit. These exclusions also extend to regular or retired employees of the state and central govts, and those drawing pensions from public sector undertakings (PSUs) or statutory boards. The scheme allows multiple eligible women within a single family to claim the benefit. The notification clarifies that there is no cap on the number of beneficiaries per family who may avail benefits under the scheme. The existing social security pensioners will also be entitled to avail the benefit in addition to the social security pension already being paid to them. To ensure transparency, all payments will be made through direct benefit transfer (DBT) to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. Changes or modifications in the mode of disbursement can be made with the approval of the chief minister. The department of social security, women and child development has also included a ‘No Recovery’ clause, stipulating that in the event of a beneficiary’s death after the disbursement, no recovery will be made from the family. However, the department will institute necessary measures to ensure the next disbursement is not made. A high-level implementation committee under the chairmanship of the chief secretary has been set up to finalise the contours of implementation of the scheme and take necessary decisions. The deputy commissioners will be responsible for smooth implementation of the scheme at the district level and grievance redressal. The documents required by the applicants include Aadhaar card reflecting Punjab residency, voter ID card of Punjab issued by the Election Commission of India, bank account passbook and caste certificate (if applicable). The beneficiaries will be required to undergo Aadhaar authentication or furnish proof of possession of Aadhaar number as a condition for receipt of benefits under the scheme. Anganwari centres and Sewa Kendras will be the primary centres for the registration of the scheme. For effective outreach and enrolment of eligible beneficiaries, the govt may deploy a network of women mobilisers who will conduct local awareness drives and support of the eligible beneficiaries with opening of bank accounts, activation of dormant bank accounts, Aadhaar seeding. As per the notification, the objective of the scheme is to strengthen the financial security of women, improve household welfare and consumption stability, improve women’s participation in household decision-making, provide predictable financial support for vulnerable households and promote gender equality.
