Chandigarh, March 13 – Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, has demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government provide arrears for the past three years to women eligible for its ₹1,000 monthly allowance scheme.
“The AAP government had promised to roll out this scheme immediately after coming to power in 2022. Now, after three years of delay, women in Punjab are owed ₹36,000 crore in arrears,” Bajwa said.
He also questioned whether the allowance would be ₹1,000 or ₹1,100 per month, citing Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s recent announcement of an increase. “CM Mann must clarify if all women above 18 will be included or if the scheme will be limited to non-income taxpaying women, as some reports suggest,” Bajwa added.
Criticizing Punjab’s financial condition, Bajwa blamed Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema for what he described as “mismanagement,” stating that the government was functioning on borrowed funds. “Given the state’s dire financial health, CM Mann must explain how he plans to fund this scheme if it is implemented at all,” he said.
