Chandigarh, July 24 -- The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday stayed the diversion of funds from a construction workers' welfare corpus to other schemes, including the ruling Aam Aadmi Party's flagship Mukh Mantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana that promises a cash dole to nearly 10 million women of the poll-bound state. Launched on July 1, the scheme promises financial assistance of Rs.1,000 a month to eligible women of the general category and Rs.1,500 per month to those from the Scheduled Caste category. "The HC has stayed diversion of funds for any scheme from this (workers' welfare) fund, including Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojana," advocate HC Arora, who represented the petitioners, said, adding that the court has now sought response from the Centre and state. A detailed order is awaited. In his budget speech on March 8, finance minister Herpal Singh Cheema said the state government had earmarked Rs.9,300 crore for the scheme. The government credited three months' assistance in a single instalment, transferring Rs.3,000 and Rs.4,500, respectively, directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts on July 1. The government claims 4 million women have registered so far and estimated 10.2 million women aged 18 years and above are eligible to apply. The petition, filed by Dr Ambedkar Workers Union, had sought stay on fund diversion, saying that on March 16 the Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board was re-constituted by the labour department under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act- 1996. This board took the decision. The social security fund is mandated under law by the Centre to support construction labourers....