Punjab Politics & Governance

Punjab releases second Mawan-Dhiyan Satikar Yojana instalment

1 October 2026

Punjab released the second instalment of the Mawan-Dhiyan Satikar Yojana for October–December, transferring ₹1,262.54 crore directly to the accounts of 36,87,677 women. The three-month payment was ₹3,000 for women in the general category and ₹4,500 for women in the Scheduled Caste category.

Key Facts

• The scheme provides direct transfers to the accounts of eligible women.

Punjab begins paddy procurement for 2026–27

1 October 2026

Punjab began government procurement of paddy for the 2026–27 season, with a state target of 180 lakh metric tonnes. The reported minimum support price was ₹2,461 per quintal, and procurement began at Khanna and other mandis on the opening day.

Key Facts

• Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a government-set floor intended to provide farmers remunerative prices and support food security.

High Court seeks progress on Punjab’s regular DGP appointment

1 October 2026

The Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Punjab government to take steps towards appointing a regular Director General of Police and asked the Chief Secretary to file an affidavit on action taken. The state told the court that the appointment issue was also before the Supreme Court; no regular appointment was reported at the time.

Key Facts

• The petition cited Supreme Court directions for selecting state DGPs through a UPSC process.

Wheat MSP raised to ₹2,610 per quintal for 2027–28

1 October 2026

The Union Cabinet approved a ₹25 increase in wheat’s minimum support price for the 2027–28 rabi marketing season, taking it to ₹2,610 per quintal. It also approved higher MSPs for five other rabi crops: barley, gram, lentil, rapeseed and mustard, and safflower.

Key Facts

• The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices advises the Union government on MSP; the government approves the final prices.

Punjab provides for ₹433 crore in child-welfare spending

1 October 2026

Punjab has provided for about ₹433 crore for child welfare in 2026–27, including support for dependent and orphaned children. Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr Baljit Kaur said about ₹218 crore had been released so far in the financial year, while around 2.45 lakh children were receiving assistance and other benefits.

Key Facts

• The assistance scheme covers children under 21 whose parents have died, are absent, or cannot care for the family because of physical or mental incapacity.

Punjab approves proposed psychosocial-care pilots for addiction recovery

2 October 2026

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann gave in-principle approval for pilots to strengthen psychosocial care alongside medical treatment for people affected by drug addiction. The proposed programmes would operate in jails and OOAT clinics in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Fazilka, Gurdaspur and Kapurthala, supporting rehabilitation and continued engagement with treatment.

Key Facts

• The programme aims to bridge medical treatment and longer-term psychosocial rehabilitation.

Punjab seeks faster lifting of rice and wheat stocks

2 October 2026

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked the Centre to arrange the lifting of six lakh metric tonnes of rice between 1 and 10 October and 15 lakh metric tonnes of wheat during October. Removing existing stocks from rice mills and market yards would make storage space available for paddy procurement during the 2026–27 kharif marketing season.

Key Facts

• The Food Corporation of India is a Central agency established under the Food Corporations Act, 1964, and operates under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
• FCI procurement supports food policy by buying wheat and rice from farmers at government-declared minimum support prices.

Punjab plans to advertise 10,000 additional police posts

3 October 2026

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced plans to advertise 10,000 additional police posts in the next financial year, linking the proposed expansion to efforts against drug trafficking. He also said 450 assistant sub-inspectors were being recruited and about 3,400 recruits were undergoing training; these figures are separate from the proposed posts.

Key Facts

• The Chief Minister said recruitment would use a transparent, merit-based process.

Bathinda cotton farmers flag costs and procurement delays

3 October 2026

Cotton was fetching about ₹8,000–₹8,500 per quintal in Bathinda markets as arrivals began for the 2026–27 season. The season’s minimum support prices were ₹8,267 per quintal for medium-staple and ₹8,667 for long-staple cotton; farmers raised concerns about input costs, ...