Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
SAD committed to hiking Shagun scheme to Rs 1 lakh, old age pension to Rs 3,100 per month – Sukhbir Badal
Babushahi Bureau
Zira (Punjab), February 20, 2026:Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today announced a slew of welfare and development initiatives aimed at benefiting the poorest and most vulnerable sections of Punjab society.
Speaking at the Punjab Bachao rally in Zira, organized by halka incharge Harpreet Singh Hero, Badal said the SAD was committed to hiking the ‘Shagun’ benefit given at a daughter’s marriage to Rs 1 lakh and increasing the old age pension to Rs 3,100 per month. He also announced the revival and expansion of the Aata-Daal scheme with subsidized commodities.
Badal received a rousing welcome and asserted that the enthusiastic turnout at the rally reflected the people’s support for SAD across the Panthic constituency.
“At our core is the welfare of the ‘gareeb, kisan and mazdoor’,” he said, adding that former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had pioneered several social welfare schemes for weaker sections, including the Shagun, old age pension, and Aata-Daal schemes.
Under the expanded proposals, Badal said the Shagun benefit would rise to Rs 1 lakh, old age pension to Rs 3,100 per month, and the Aata-Daal scheme would distribute wheat and pulses at Rs 4 and Rs 20 per kg respectively.
The SAD president also took aim at Delhi-based parties, claiming that unlike them, SAD consistently worked for the rights and aspirations of Punjabis.
“Every facility and infrastructure you see around—tubewell connections, Mandis, irrigation channels, thermal plants, and expressways—was created by successive SAD governments. We not only introduced social welfare schemes but also administrative reforms like Sewa Kendras and Saanjh Kendras,” he said.
Badal strongly criticized the AAP government, alleging misuse of State resources. He claimed that prime land in Mohali was being handed to Delhi-based builders and warned that any such auctions would be canceled once SAD returned to power. Government officers, he added, would be held accountable for compromising State interests.
Highlighting his vision for farmers, Badal promised tubewell connections for all unserved farmers within a week of the next SAD government taking office.
He also pledged to establish permanent bunds on rivers to prevent floods, grant land rights to those denied them, and provide free partition of joint land ownership.
For youth and employment, Badal proposed that new industries hire at least 75% Punjabi youth, all government jobs be reserved for Punjabis, and Rs 10 lakh interest-free loans be made available to youth repayable over ten years. Additionally, he promised 50% reservation for students from meritorious schools in government and private engineering and medical colleges.
Badal also announced the revival of the Rahat scheme for traders, exemption of motorcycles from road tax, restarting the World Kabaddi Cup, creating a new Kushti Cup, and promoting Pashu Melas.
Speaking on the occasion, senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia described governance under the AAP as a “khooni raj,” highlighting increasing incidents of violence and raising concerns over the potential sale of Punjab’s water rights to Haryana.
Senior leaders Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Sarabjit Singh Jhinjher, Joginder Singh Jindu, Gurmeet Singh Bau, Rohit Vohra, and Ranbir Singh Dhillon also addressed the gathering.