Reaffirming its commitment to the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Persons with Disabilities, the Punjab Government has disbursed a loan amount of ₹9.14 crore to 522 beneficiaries during the financial year 2024-25. This includes a subsidy of ₹1.46 crore.
Punjab’s Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment, and Minorities, Dr. Baljit Kaur, shared this information today. Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government is consistently striving to empower marginalized and underprivileged sections of society through education, financial support, and social upliftment.
She emphasized that the Punjab Scheduled Castes and Persons with Disabilities Finance and Development Corporation is providing concessional loans to help these sections of society pursue self-employment and higher education.
The Cabinet Minister further explained that under various schemes run by the state government, any individual from the Scheduled Caste community aged between 18 and 55 years, with an annual income of up to ₹3 lakh, is eligible to avail of loans for self-employment or higher education.
Similarly, persons with disabilities aged between 18 and 60 years, with at least 40% disability, regardless of their caste, are also eligible for these loans. Dr. Baljit Kaur reiterated that the Punjab Government is taking new initiatives to uplift socially and economically weaker sections, ensuring equal opportunities in employment and education.