Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab today conducted detailed review of all welfare schemes being offered by Punjab Government and released Rs. 421 crore for 3 schemes.Accompanied by Revenue Minister Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia, Deputy Chief Minister today had a marathon meeting with all departments regarding the implementation of various welfare schemes. It was informed in the meeting that to cut red-tapism to provide different scholarships to SCs/BCs and Minority students, the Punjab Government has launched an online portal under which students would be able to apply the scholarship/fee reimbursement online and his claim would be verified by his teaching institute through online method and his application would be transferred to welfare department for reimbursement. It was informed in the meeting that amounts would be directly credited in the accounts of students or institute as applicable. He said that students logging on the scholarship portal would being today and Punjab Government has already issued detailed guidelines to students and institutes for hassle free disbursement of scholarships to the students.
Appreciating the student friendly cyber venture of Welfare Department, Sukhbir said that the department should put up posters of guidelines in every institute and hold camps there to guide the students. Emphasising on centralised monitoring of this scheme, Mr. Badal said that this dream of instant payment of scholarship is all set to benefit more than 80% students of Punjab.The Finance Secretary informed the Deputy CM that Rs. 146.25 crore has been released for old age pension and pensions to all beneficiaries that was due for March in April has been released and by the next month old age pension payment would be made current.
The Director General School Education informed the Deputy CM that Education Department has already identified and shortlisted the computer Tablets to be distributed to over 2 lakh class XI students of government schools of the state. Mr. Badal approving the computer tablets asked DGSE to first load all relevant education content in the computer tablets so that these could become an effective tool for students to compete in cyber age.
Reviewing the implementation of Shagun Scheme, Mr. Badal said that each beneficiary should get Shagun on the day of marriage and Welfare Department should ensure the implementation of this direction of Chief Minister. Releasing Rs. 45 crore for the Shagun Scheme that would clear all claims of shagun till May, Mr. Badal said that in next two months the shagun should be applied before the solemnisation of marriage and an official of Punjab Government would go with Shagun and a personal letter of Chief Minister to bless the couple. He said that a photograph of the official handing over shagun to the parents would form the part of the record to bring transparency in the whole system.
Issuing orders to all Deputy Commissioners to conduct door-to-door survey for Atta-Daal scheme, Mr. Badal said that he was getting representations from people that many eligible families were left out of the ambit of this scheme. He said that the fresh survey should include all eligible families to the scheme and newly designed Blue Cards would be issued to all new beneficiaries. Badal also released Rs. 180 crore for Atta-Daal scheme and issued instruction to ensure timely delivery of wheat and pulses to over 16 lakh families of the state.
Giving directions to Industry Department to finalise rate contract to purchase cycles to be distributed to the eligible girl students of government schools, the Deputy CM said that this scheme has to be implemented in time bound manner.Asking the Health Department to go in for bidding to shortlist insurance company, Mr. Badal said that Punjab Government was committed to provide Rs. 1 lakh cashless health insurance to all citizens of Punjab. He was also directed to identify all those Government and Private hospitals where they could get the free treatment.Announcing Rs. 30000 scholarship for the meritorious students of the Government schools, Sukhbir said that besides government meritorious students of other schools and model schools should also be included to enable them to pursue further studies. The Cooperative department was asked to enrol more members for Bhai Ghanaiyya Health Scheme.
Announcing other scheme for blue card holder family Mr. Badal said that each Atta-Daal family would be provided free health insurance cover up to Rs. 30000 at the cost of Government and Health Department was asked to finalise the insurance company. Prominent amongst those present in the meeting included Mr. S.K. Sandhu, Principal Secretary to CM, Mr. P.S. Aujla, Principal Secretary to Deputy CM. Mrs. Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary Health, Mrs. Anjali Bhawra, Principal Secretary Education, Mr. Anurag Aggarwal, Secretary Welfare, Mr. D.S. Grewal, Secretary Food and Civil Supplies, Mr. Gagandeep Singh Brar, Special Principal Secretary to CM, Mr. Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, Director Social Security, Mr. Ajay Kumar Mahajan, Mr. Manvesh Singh Sidhu, both Special Principal Secretaries to Deputy CM and Mr. Ashwani Kumar Sharma, Director Public Relations.