Himachal Prepares October 2 Rollout of Women's Cash Aid and Free Power
Himachal Pradesh is readying two welfare schemes for an October 2 launch, covering about 2.5 lakh women and 1.80 lakh very poor households.
The Himachal Pradesh government is preparing to extend two welfare benefits to economically weaker sections on October 2, with roughly 2.5 lakh women in line to receive Rs 1,500 each and close to 1.80 lakh extremely poor families expected to get up to 300 units of free electricity.
Under the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi scheme, women aged between 21 and 60 who meet the eligibility criteria will have Rs 1,500 credited directly to their bank accounts. The ninth phase of enrolment under the scheme is scheduled to be completed by September 20.
Officials said about 2.41 lakh applications have already reached the Rural Development Department after verification in the eighth phase. Another 10,000 applications are anticipated in the ninth phase, which could take the total number of beneficiaries to around 2.5 lakh.
Once the ninth-phase applications are processed, the list of eligible beneficiaries is expected to be notified at the sub-divisional magistrate level on September 25. The government will then move to transfer the assistance into the accounts of eligible women. Women above 60 years of age who qualify are already covered under social security pension schemes.
Separately, the state is preparing to implement the 300-unit free electricity scheme for about 1.80 lakh extremely poor families. Beneficiaries have been shortlisted using data gathered at the panchayat level, with the Rural Development Department building the database from information collected in rural areas.
The Social Justice and Empowerment Department will handle the direct transfer of Rs 1,500 to eligible women once verification is complete. The government says the direct benefit transfer route is intended to ensure the money reaches beneficiaries without any intermediary.
The proposed free electricity scheme is expected to ease the monthly domestic power burden on the state's poorest households. With departments speeding up preparations, the October 2 rollout could bring both financial support and household expense relief to thousands of families across Himachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is expected to highlight the government's welfare initiatives and the benefits they are meant to deliver to economically weaker sections.