Chandigarh, March 29 Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia said on Sunday that the AAP government in Punjab should first clear the "outstanding dues" before implementing its key election promise of providing women with financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month.
This statement came after the Punjab Cabinet on Sunday approved the 'Mukh Mantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna', under which women will receive a monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000, while those belonging to the Scheduled Castes will receive Rs 1,500 per month.
This scheme was a key election promise of the ruling AAP in the run-up to the 2022 Punjab elections, which has now been launched, a year before the state goes to the polls again.
Majithia said that the timing of the implementation raises concerns about the government's intentions.
"The promise was made before the 2022 Assembly elections, but it has only been implemented in 2026, in the final phase of the government's tenure. The government has failed to clear the outstanding dues of the past four years," the Akali leader said.
According to Majithia, based on AAP's promise made before the 2022 Punjab polls, each eligible beneficiary should have received nearly Rs 48,000 by now.
"Therefore, AAP should first clear the outstanding dues," he said.
Majithia also questioned the financial sustainability of the scheme, claiming that with nearly 1 crore beneficiaries, the annual expenditure would be close to Rs 12,000 crore.
"At a time when Punjab's debt has crossed Rs 4 lakh crore, such commitments require clear financial planning," he said.
The Akali leader also claimed that there is no clarity on when the promised amount will start reaching the beneficiaries' bank accounts, as without a definite timeline, the announcement remains uncertain on the ground.
Majithia's wife and SAD MLA Ganieve Kaur Majithia said that women of the state had placed their trust in AAP's promise of monthly financial assistance, but the delay and lack of clarity have led to growing disappointment.
Unless the government clears the outstanding dues and ensures timely disbursement, questions over its intent and execution of the scheme will persist, she said.
Under the scheme, women aged 18 years or more, who are registered as voters in the state with a valid Aadhaar card reflecting Punjab residency and a valid Voter ID issued by the Election Commission, shall be eligible as beneficiaries.
A statement quoting the chief minister's office (CMO) issued after the Cabinet meeting said the scheme will have a "significant impact" on the upliftment of women by empowering them to become independent.
The scheme has been designed as a direct benefit transfer (DBT) initiative, under which the financial assistance will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries, it said.
There is no restriction on the number of eligible women in a family who may avail the benefits under the scheme, and the existing social security pensioners will also continue to receive its full financial benefits in addition to their pensions, the statement said.