The Punjab Government has decided to disburse Shagun worth Rs.45.22 crore to as many as 30,153 beneficiaries within next 15 days pending since 2009 to 2015 in light of the recent Cabinet decision.A decision to this effect was taken by the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal while reviewing various welfare schemes during a series of meetings with the senior officers of Social Security, SC/BC Welfare, Health & Family Welfare, Labour, Mandi Board, Excise and Taxation, PWD (B&R) here at Chief Minister’s Residence. Mr. Badal directed the Secretary SC/BC Welfare to depute District Social Welfare Officers for verification of about 4,000 remaining old Shagun cases within a fortnight so as to seek requisite funds from Finance Department for this purpose. The Chief Minister was updated that under SC Pre-matric Scholarship scheme, a sum of Rs.47.77 crore had already been disbursed to 2.22 lac beneficiaries during 2015-16. Likewise, the state government had already disbursed Rs.143.07 crore under Post Matric SC scheme during 2015-16.
The Chief Minister also gave nod to launch another phase for distribution of 75,000 cycles, to the girl students studying in class +1 of Government Schools across the state under Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme from the coming August 4, involving an expenditure of Rs. 22 cr. Meanwhile, the Secretary Social Security also informed the Chief Minister that various social security pension schemes were up-to-date as the department had already released funds for the disbursement of pension to nearly 18 lac beneficiaries for June.Regarding the status of Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojana, Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare told Mr. Badal that nearly 40,000 beneficiaries under this scheme have availed the facility of cashless treatment worth Rs.40 crore. She informed that 473 hospitals, of which 215 government and 258 private empanelled hospitals were providing healthcare facilities and treatment to the members of the scheme. This scheme encompasses blue card holders, farmers, traders and construction workers.
Regarding the progress of repair work of link roads by Punjab Mandi Board and PWD (B&R), the Chief Minister was briefed that both these organizations have completed 95% and 88% of work including special repair, patch work and DB Flooring respectively. A total outlay of Rs.12,000 crore was involved for this major repair work of link roads in the state.
While reviewing the overall progress of ongoing Water Supply & Sanitation schemes, the Chief Minister was informed by the Water Supply & Sanitation Minister Mr. Surjit Singh Rakhra that the department had fixed a construction target of 4 lac individual household latrines in the villages, of which one lac had already been completed and another one lac would be completed by the end of next month adding he said the department had also initiated the process of constructing remaining two lac latrines which would be completed before December 2016.
The Chief Minister exhorted the officers to further intensify efforts to provide quality drinking water in the households especially in the villages, which were severely hit by the problem of quality water due to the presence of Uranium and other heavy metals. Mr. Badal was also apprised by the Secretary Water Supply & Sanitation that 310 new water schemes across the state and 104 in the water logged areas at a cost of Rs.237 crore and Rs.200 crore respectively would be completed by January 2017. Mr. Badal also asked the department to complete all the performance improvement works being executed in 6500 villages on the priority for the benefit of rural populace. Expressing lot of satisfaction over the implementation and delivery system of these welfare schemes, Mr. Badal said that he had hardly received any major complaint related to people centric schemes during interface with public in his recently concluded Sangat Darshan programs.
Prominent amongst others who attended these meetings included; Water Supply & Sanitation Minister Mr. Surjit Singh Rakhra, Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Mr. N.S. Kalsi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. S.K. Sandhu, Principal Secretary Health Mrs. Vini Mahajan, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar, Principal Secretary Labour Mr. Roshan Sunkaria, Secretary SC/BC Welfare Mr. Kirpa Shankar Saroj, Secretary Health Mr. Hussan Lal, Secretary Social Security Mr. Anurag Aggarwal, Secretary DWSS Mr. AK Sinha, Special Secretary DWSS Mr. Abhinav Trikha, Secretary Mandi Board Mr. TPS Sidhu, Excise & Taxation Commissioner Mr. Rajat Aggarwal, OSD to Chief Minister Mr. Sudheer Babu Marisetty, Chief Engineer Mandi Board Mr. Harpreet Singh Brar and Punjab Construction Worker’s Welfare Board Deputy Secretary Mr. SS Bandi.