NEW DELHI: Less than a year before Punjab heads to Assembly polls, the Bhagwant Mann government has stepped up its welfare push, rolling out back-to-back schemes with direct cash benefits.
From launching the long-promised monthly financial assistance for women to announcing a five-fold hike in the honorarium of village sarpanches, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) appears keen to reinforce its pro-poor credentials at a time it faces political turbulence on multiple fronts.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched the Mukhya Mantri Mawan Dhiyan Satkar Yojana on Wednesday from his constituency, Dhuri, and the government released the first three months’ instalments for July to September directly into the bank accounts of nearly 40 lakh women.
Women registered under the scheme will receive Rs 1,000 every month, while Scheduled Caste beneficiaries will get Rs 1,500. The scheme fulfils one of AAP’s flagship promises made during the 2022 Assembly elections.
Days earlier, Mann announced that the monthly allowance of sarpanches would be increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 from August 15, benefiting more than 13,000 village heads.
The timing of these announcements is politically significant. The Mann government is facing criticism over several issues, the most prominent being its stand-off with the Akal Takht over the controversial video involving the chief minister. With Sikh religious sentiments dominating the political discourse, the government’s welfare push is widely being viewed as an attempt to shift the narrative towards governance and social welfare.
Whether these cash transfers will translate into electoral gains, however, remains an open question.
Political analyst Shiv Inder Singh believes welfare schemes alone may not be enough to counter anti-incumbency or emotionally charged political issues.
