Mann Government  Turns Paper Dreams into Hope for Millions : ₹4683.94 Crore Released from ₹6175 Crore Budget under Social Security Schemes

Chandigarh, December 22, 2025: Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab government is continuously implementing pro-people policies for the welfare of every section of society. Several historic initiatives have been taken during the year 2025 (financial year 2025-26) to ensure the social and economic security of the elderly, women, children, and persons with disabilities. This information was provided by the Minister of Social Security, Women and Child Development, Dr. Baljit Kaur.

She stated that a budget provision of ₹6175 crore was made under social security schemes during the year 2025, out of which ₹4683.94 crore has been released by November 2025 under old-age pension and other financial assistance schemes.

She said that currently, 35,29,216 beneficiaries are continuously receiving financial assistance, which reflects the Punjab government's commitment to creating a strong social security net.

Dr. Baljit Kaur said that the Punjab government is working with firm resolve to eradicate child begging from the state. For this purpose, Project Jeevanjot has been launched by the Social Security Department, under which special raids are conducted in all districts of the state during the second week of every month.

She informed that Project Jeevanjot 2.0 has been implemented to prevent child trafficking and identify individuals involved in forcing children into begging, making this campaign more stringent and effective. So far, 766 children have been rescued from begging, and concrete steps have been taken for their education and rehabilitation.

The Cabinet Minister stated that the government is working with complete seriousness to eliminate the social evil of child marriage. During the year 2025, 64 child marriages were stopped in time. She said that the 2076 Child Marriage Prohibition Officers appointed across the state are playing a crucial role in this campaign.

Dr. Baljit Kaur said that under the Safe School Vehicle Policy, the safety of school-going children is a priority for the government. During the last four months, 2385 school buses were inspected, of which 404 buses were चालानed (fined) and 2 buses were seized for not meeting safety standards.

She informed that Punjab has become the first state in the country to implement sign language interpretation for the proceedings of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. This initiative will enable persons with speech and hearing disabilities to connect with the democratic process. For this, 1 sign language interpreter, 42 special educators, and 48 translators have been empanelled.

Dr. Baljit Kaur said that free travel facilities are being provided to visually impaired persons and travel at half fare to persons with disabilities. A budget of Rs. 350 lakh has been allocated for this scheme during the financial year 2025-26, of which Rs. 3.45 crore has been spent so far.

She informed that One-Stop Centers have been established in all districts of the state, where five types of free services are provided to women affected by violence, including medical, legal, police assistance, counseling, and safe accommodation. By November 2025, 5121 women had availed these services.

Dr. Baljit Kaur said that all women in the state are being provided free travel facilities in government buses. Approximately 1.20 crore women are benefiting from this scheme every month. By November 2025, Rs. 450 crore had been spent on this.

She informed that through more than 27,000 Anganwadi centers, 3,68,72,550 sanitary pads have been distributed free of cost to 13.65 lakh needy women.

During the current financial year, an amount of Rs. 26.06 crore has been transferred to the bank accounts of 69,110 pregnant and lactating women beneficiaries through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer). The government has set a target of covering 1.14 lakh beneficiaries.

Dr. Baljit Kaur said that five working women's hostels will be constructed in Mohali, Jalandhar, and Amritsar at a cost of approximately ₹150 crore, with the aim of completing their construction by 2026.

Finally, Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab government is fully committed to social security, women's empowerment, and overall development, and is working towards building a happy and secure Punjab.