CHANDIGARH: In a transformative push to strengthen the social safety net and empower women and children, the Punjab Government under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has delivered historic achievements through the Department of Social Security and Women & Child Development between 2022 and 2026. This was stated by Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur.
Reinforcing its commitment to the most vulnerable sections of society, the Bhagwant Mann Government added more than 5.2 lakh additional Punjabis from economically challenged backgrounds to the social security pension net. Over ₹23, 102 crore has been disbursed to nearly 35.7 lakh elderly citizens, destitute and widow women, and persons with disabilities.
Correcting years of administrative neglect and the absence of proper monitoring mechanisms under previous governments, the Bhagwant Mann Government carried out a comprehensive verification of pension records. During this process, more than 1.9 lakh deceased or non-existent pensioners who continued to remain on official records were identified and removed. By plugging these loopholes and introducing stronger verification systems, the Punjab Government has ensured annual savings of more than ₹350 crore in public funds.
During this clean-up exercise, it was also found that pension amounts had continued to be transferred for years into bank accounts of beneficiaries who were no longer alive or eligible because previous governments had failed to establish proper systems to track such cases. As a result, nearly ₹450 crore had accumulated and remained unused in these accounts over time. The Bhagwant Mann Government identified these accounts and recovered the funds lying unused in banks, bringing them back into the public welfare system.