Underlining the commitment of the SAD-BJP government for the overall development and welfare of the students belonging to the SC & BC communities, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Welfare Minister released the data of the expenditure the state government has committed under different welfare schemes. He said that in the period from 2007 to August, 2014 the state government has disbursed Rs.593.39 crore under Shagun Scheme to the 3, 99,985 beneficiaries. Similarly the amount of Rs.549.54 was spent on the Post Matric Scholarship schemes to finance the study expenses of 9,86,033 students belonging to the SC communities. These statistics were released by the minister during a high level review meeting of the department to gauge the progress of various welfare schemes.
Welfare Minister while taking stock of the progress of the welfare schemes asked the officers to make sure that the deserving candidates of these downtrodden communities must derives the real benefit of the schemes. He also instructed the officers to make a foolproof service delivery mechanism so as to minimise the hurdles for these under privileged sections.He said that a malicious propaganda was being launched by the congress party falsely blaming the SAD-BJP government for ignoring the welfare of the SC & BC communities. He proudly announced that in comparison to the work done by their government none of the Congress regime in Punjab could match that welfare work. He said that the setting up of Sri Ram Tirath at Amritsar, establishment of Sri Guru Ravidass Ayurvedic University and under construction world class memorial of Guru Ravidass at Khuralgarh village is the flagship schemes of the state government.
He further said that up to 200 units free power supply to the households of scheduled caste communities, Atta-Dal Scheme, Scholarship Scheme for the students belonging to SC & BC communities, supply of free Books, free Stenography course to the SC students were also other important schemes of the state government which had been running successfully since long. He said that this year Punjab has increased 37.42% budget amount which would be spent on different Welfare schemes of SC, BC and Minorities.