When will Punjab’s Rs 1,000–Rs 1,500 Monthly Aid Scheme for women begin? Harpal Cheema announces date; Watch Video
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, March 8, 2026:The Punjab government has announced a major financial assistance scheme for women, with registration set to begin from the festival of Baisakhi, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said while presenting the state budget in the Punjab Assembly.
Under the scheme, general category women will receive ₹1,000 per month, while Scheduled Caste (SC) women will get ₹1,500 per month as direct financial assistance. The payments will be transferred directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
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The finance minister said the government has allocated ₹9,300 crore in the 2026–27 budget for the initiative.The scheme is expected to benefit nearly 97 percent of adult women in Punjab, making it one of the largest such programmes in the country.
Cheema added that elderly and widowed women already receiving pensions will also receive the additional benefit under the scheme.
‘Women Will Gain Dignity and Financial Independence’
Speaking in the Assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema said the government is fulfilling its promise to empower women financially.
“Baisakhi symbolizes a new beginning for Punjabis, and from this day we will start the mission of giving financial independence to our mothers and sisters. Women will no longer have to depend on others for their small personal expenses,” he said.
The government is expected to soon announce details about the registration portal and special camps for enrolment.
Women above 18 years of age will be eligible for the scheme, except government employees, former MLAs, and income-tax paying families, who have been excluded from the programme.