Ludhiana recorded the highest number of beneficiaries under the Punjab government’s Mawan Dhyan Satkar Yojana, with enrollment at 7.4 lakh, according to data released by the state government.
As of July 14, a total of 68.9 lakh beneficiaries have been registered under the program across Punjab.
Patiala ranked second with 5.3 lakh beneficiaries, followed by Amritsar (4.9 lakh), Jalandhar (4.8 lakh), Gurdaspur (4.4 lakh) and Hoshiarpur (4.2 lakh). Malerkotla recorded the lowest enrollment rate with 1.3 lakh beneficiaries.
Punjab Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr Baljit Kaur said the rise in enrollment rates in pilot districts was driven by larger population, stronger administrative networks and increased awareness about social welfare schemes.
“The entire government apparatus is working collectively to ensure the success of the scheme,” she said.
According to the government, districts like Ludhiana, Patiala, Amritsar and Jalandhar have a larger urban and rural population, a larger number of constituencies and a larger number of eligible families, leading to higher school enrollment rates. These cities also attract people from neighboring areas for employment, education and livelihood opportunities, increasing the resident population.
The government said that a larger proportion of families in these areas belong to rural and economically weaker sectors, making more families eligible to benefit from the scheme. Improved birth registration, Aadhaar registration, availability of bank accounts and other required documents have also helped increase registrations.
District administrations conducted awareness campaigns and worked with local bodies and anganwadi workers to encourage eligible families to apply. Officials also focused on verifying applications and completing registrations in a timely manner.
In contrast, less populated areas, including Malerkotla, recorded fewer beneficiaries due to the relatively smaller number of eligible households.
