Punjab Newsline : Punjab
On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann extended a special gesture to Satkar Sakhis by transferring ₹52.20 crore in honorarium to the bank accounts of 1.37 lakh Satkar Sakhis. CM Mann said that Satkar Sakhis have played a crucial role in taking the Mukh Mantri Mawan-Dheeyan Satkar Yojna to women across Punjab and ensuring that eligible beneficiaries receive financial assistance directly in their bank accounts.
CM Mann said that the dedicated efforts of Satkar Sakhis have helped register 76.11 lakh women under the scheme so far. Of these, financial assistance amounting to ₹2,381 crore has already been transferred to the accounts of 68.06 lakh women. The state government has set a target of connecting one crore women with the scheme.
The Chief Minister said Satkar Sakhis will receive ₹300 for every registration. The first instalment of ₹51.20 crore has already been released at the rate of ₹100 per registration. He said that after achieving the target of one crore registrations, Satkar Sakhis would earn more than ₹200 crore through the initiative.
Under the scheme, women above 18 years of age are receiving financial assistance of ₹1,000, while SC women are receiving ₹1,500. The assistance is being transferred directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts. The government has allocated ₹9,300 crore in the budget for the scheme and expects around 97 percent of women in Punjab to benefit from it.
CM Mann said the financial assistance was aimed not at making women wealthy but at strengthening their dignity, self-respect and financial independence. He said that empowering women financially would also improve household welfare and increase their participation in social and economic decision-making.
The Chief Minister made it clear that the Mukh Mantri Mawan-Dheeyan Satkar Yojna would not be discontinued as long as the AAP government remains in power in Punjab. He also urged Satkar Sakhis to remain connected with the families they have registered and continue supporting them beyond the registration process.
AAP Punjab Women Wing President and MLA Dr. Amandeep Kaur, MLAs Dr. Jeevanjot Kaur and Inderjit Kaur, Cabinet Ministers Aman Arora and Harbhajan Singh ETO and other dignitaries were also present at the programme.
