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The Punjab government has transferred ₹1,149 crore directly into the bank accounts of nearly 33 lakh women under the Mukh Mantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana, with beneficiaries across districts including Gurdaspur, Sri Hargobindpur and Ahmedgarh saying the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system has ended dependence on cash handouts routed through male family members. More than 70 lakh women are enrolled in the scheme, launched under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to provide financial assistance to women in the state.
Under the scheme, women from Scheduled Caste households have received ₹4,500 each in three monthly instalments of ₹1,500. Beneficiaries from other categories have received ₹3,000 each in three instalments of ₹1,000.
Sarabjit Kaur, 32,
from Gurdaspur, said the DBT model kept the money out of reach of male relatives who might otherwise spend it on alcohol. “Cash dende taan aadmi log peg sheg te kharch kar dende hain, par khate vich ta sada paisa safe hai,” she said, meaning that cash handed over in person often gets spent on drink, but money sitting in her own bank account stays safe and is spent only on household needs.
Gagandeep Kaur, 35, from Harchowal, said her payment arrived within five to six days of applying and called the process quick and hassle-free. She said she had not yet withdrawn the amount because she intends to use it only when a genuine need arises.
Suman Kumari, 49, from Sri Hargobindpur, said the money had gone toward her two daughters’ higher education, and that her household separately receives free ration, free electricity and free bus travel under other state schemes.
Harpal Kaur from Ahmedgarh said her daughters received their own payments under the scheme and are using the funds according to their individual needs. “Sarkar ne eh paisa changi niyat naal ditta hai, tan eh changi jagah hi kharch karna chahida hai,” she said, meaning the government gave this money with good intentions, so it should be spent for good purposes.
Punjab’s Minister for Social Security, Women and Child Development, Dr Baljit Kaur, said the scheme was designed to give women financial security and dignity, and that every eligible beneficiary would receive the assistance on time. “No eligible woman will be left out,” she said.
Axis Bank, the scheme’s nodal banking partner, has handled the large-scale transfers. Reynold D’Souza, Group Head, Branch Banking, North and TASC Business at Axis Bank, said the bank remains committed to ensuring benefits reach recipients “efficiently, transparently and at scale.”
