The Committee for the Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha convened a review meeting in Jalandhar today to assess the progress and implementation of various welfare schemes being run by the Government. The meeting, chaired by Committee Chairperson and Jagraon MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, was attended by MLAs Amit Rattan and Dr. Nachattarpal, along with Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal, Additional Deputy Commissioners Jasbir Singh and Amaninder Kaur, Navdeep Kaur, and senior officials from key departments.
Chairperson Manuke emphasized the need to ensure that all welfare benefits reach the rightful beneficiaries at the grassroots level without delay. “It is our collective duty to uplift the underprivileged sections of society.
Maximum outreach through awareness camps should be ensured so that no eligible person is left behind,” she stated. MLAs also sought detailed reports on the implementation status of welfare schemes over the past three and a half years, along with compliance updates on earlier directives.
During the meeting, the committee reviewed the Police Department’s actions regarding cases registered under the Atrocities Act besides instructing officials to evolve a mechanism for ensuring social security to ragpickers engaged in door-to-door garbage collection. Various welfare schemes, including the PM Awas Yojana, Scholarship Scheme, Free Food Grain Distribution, Janani Suraksha Yojana, and programs for the distribution of uniforms and books, as well as construction of toilets, were also discussed in detail.
The committee further recommended the launch of a dedicated helpline during the admission period to expedite the issuance of caste certificates and ensure timely assistance to applicants.