Chandigarh-
Addressing a press convention held at Punjab Bhawan, Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities of Punjab, Dr Baljit Kaur on Tuesday mentioned the Punjab Authorities has applied a delicate, clear and other people centric welfare mannequin by means of the Division of Social Safety, Girls and Youngster Growth and the Division of Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities, making certain that nearly each family within the state advantages from one scheme or one other, particularly senior residents, girls, kids, individuals with disabilities, Scheduled Castes, Backward Lessons and different marginalised communities.
Detailing help for the aged, Dr Baljit Kaur acknowledged, “At current, 23,62,579 needy senior residents are receiving a month-to-month pension of ₹1500 by means of Direct Profit Switch immediately into their financial institution accounts throughout the first week of each month.”
She added that strict monitoring led to the elimination of ineligible and deceased beneficiaries, leading to restoration of ₹170 crore. Two fashionable outdated age houses at Tapa and Mansa have been made operational at a value of ₹17.33 crore, offering lodging, meals, clothes, healthcare and psychological wellbeing help, whereas NGOs working for senior residents have acquired grants value ₹11.43 crore.
Referring to the “Sada Buzurg Sada Maan” marketing campaign, she added that district degree camps launched in 2024 strengthened the bodily and psychological well being of senior residents, with over 20,000 aged individuals collaborating in 2024 and once more greater than 20,000 this yr, availing healthcare help, authorized support and assistive units.
Emphasising girls empowerment, the cupboard minister continued, “Underneath the free bus journey facility for girls, an expenditure of ₹2042 crore has been incurred, enabling girls to entry training, employment and healthcare with out monetary obstacles.” She knowledgeable that 5 Working Girls Hostels, three in Mohali and one every in Jalandhar and Amritsar, are below building at a value of ₹150 crore and can be accomplished throughout the yr, with crèche services to help working moms.
Strengthening grassroots supply, she mentioned 4,377 Anganwadi Staff and Helpers have been recruited in 2023 by means of a clear course of and recruitment of 6,110 extra can be accomplished shortly to reinforce diet providers and early childhood care. She added that menstrual hygiene is being promoted by means of sanitary pad distribution by way of over 27,000 Anganwadi Centres and that 6.48 lakh widows, divorced, abandoned and low earnings girls are receiving ₹1500 month-to-month pension with out interruption.
On maternity and little one welfare, Dr Baljit Kaur shared, “In opposition to a central goal of two,94,288 beneficiaries below Matru Vandana Yojana, Punjab lined 4,22,492 girls over 4 years. Over 1000 new Anganwadi Centres have been constructed, dilapidated buildings repaired and 100 Saksham Anganwadi Centres are being developed in Moga and Ferozepur with fashionable services, whereas coaching was imparted to all Anganwadi Staff at a value of ₹10 crore to advertise play based mostly studying.”
Highlighting little one safety, she added that below Mission Jeevanjyot, kids discovered begging have been rescued and enrolled in colleges with steady monitoring. She knowledgeable that 165 little one marriage instances have been detected over 4 years, 150 have been prevented and FIRs registered in 15 instances, whereas the sponsorship scheme expanded from round 1,700 beneficiaries earlier to almost 11,000 kids, every receiving ₹4000 per 30 days. “Adoption providers have been strengthened in 16 districts, leading to 138 profitable adoptions together with 26 inter nation adoptions,” she added.
On help for susceptible teams, the Punjab minister shared, “2,94,440 dependent kids are receiving ₹1500 month-to-month pension and a devoted Incapacity Cell has been established for single window help. The ₹1000 month-to-month incapacity help was restored, incapacity staff have been exempted from night time duties and lengthy distance postings on request, and pension for acid assault victims was enhanced from ₹8000 to ₹10,000 per 30 days and made gender impartial. Free bus journey has been prolonged to attendants of visually impaired individuals and signal language interpretation was launched for the primary time throughout a Punjab Vidhan Sabha session.”
She added that Publish matric scholarships value ₹1943 crore have been disbursed over the previous 4 years. Backlogs from 2017 to 2020 have been cleared by releasing ₹366 crore to non-public schools and ₹92 crore to authorities establishments, enabling college students to obtain pending levels. The Dr B R Ambedkar Scholarship Portal and Free Ship Card system have been launched to make sure transparency and charge free admissions, growing beneficiaries to almost 2.7 lakh college students yearly.
She additional mentioned that below the Ashirwad Scheme, ₹51,000 marriage help is being supplied regardless of caste, with ₹1023 crore launched to date, whereas ₹100 crore has been launched below the Adarsh Gram Yojana for improvement in Scheduled Caste dominated villages and ₹6 crore lengthy pending dues below the inter caste marriage incentive scheme have been cleared.
Concluding, Dr Baljit Kaur acknowledged, “The Punjab Authorities stays firmly dedicated to making sure that each welfare scheme reaches the rightful beneficiary on time and with full transparency, enabling each citizen of Punjab to stay with dignity, safety and equal alternative.”
