Chandigarh, March 6: The Punjab Government has announced that the final stage of its “Mahila Udyami Samman Program” will culminate in a state-level ceremony where the top 100 women entrepreneurs will be awarded ₹25,000 each. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is scheduled to present these honors on March 18, marking a significant milestone in the month-long celebration of International Women’s Day.
The initiative, designed to foster self-reliance and economic independence, has already seen the successful completion of its first phase. Between March 2 and March 6, recognition ceremonies were conducted across all 117 Assembly constituencies. During this period, approximately 11,700 women engaged in various small businesses, agriculture-related ventures, and service sectors were felicitated for their contributions to the local economy.
Officials stated that the program received an enthusiastic response, with more than 28,000 nominations submitted through the Punjab State Rural Livelihood Mission (PSRLM) portal. The selection process is structured in multiple tiers; following the constituency-level events, 2,300 women will be recognized at the district level across 23 districts before the final state-level selection.
The government declared that this program is a testament to its commitment to women’s empowerment. Representatives affirmed that the objective is to celebrate women who have created unique identities through entrepreneurship in both urban and rural areas. Instead of a single-day event, the administration maintained that the entire month of March is being dedicated to recognizing the leadership of women in the state’s economic landscape.
