Over 1 Million Women Await Benefits under Sukh Samman Nidhi Scheme: Jairam Thakur Questions Government’s Intent

Shimla, December 1, 2024 – Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Jairam Thakur, criticized the Himachal Pradesh government for delaying the distribution of funds under the Sukh Samman Nidhi Scheme. He questioned why over 1 million applications from women aged 18 to 59 remain pending in government offices. Despite Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s claims of fulfilling the scheme’s promises, Thakur pointed out that most beneficiaries have not received any financial assistance, even nine months after the scheme’s official launch.

Thakur accused the government of misleading women, stating, “Is pension disbursement limited to providing a single installment in two years? The government collected applications during the election period with grand promises, but now remains silent and ineffective.” He added that only 28,000 women have received one installment, while 7 lakh applications were filed, highlighting a glaring gap between promises and delivery.

He further criticized the exclusion of many eligible women, such as those with family members receiving old-age or disability pensions, or employed in daily wage jobs under MGNREGA, labeling the government’s approach as insensitive and disrespectful to women.

Thakur called on the government to apologize for deceiving women and demanded immediate corrective action.