Lambasting Congress-led Punjab Government for its failure to disburse “shagun” under Ashirwad scheme to the Dalit girls on their marriage during the past nine months, former minister and SAD leader Gulzar Singh Ranike on Tuesday said that this gross apathy towards welfare of the schedule castes (SCs) in the State reflect on the Congress government’s anti-dalit mindset.

Ranike said that first, the Congress Government had denied post-matriculation scholarship to the SC students resulting in steep fall in their enrolment in the institutions of higher education in Punjab.

“Ironically, the Union Government had already released the scholarship amount to the State Government but it diverted the funds and consciously denied admission to SC students as a part of its conspiracy to deprive them of education,” he alleged.

Ranike said that the Congress party had, in its manifesto, had promised the SCs that shagun amount would be enhanced from Rs 15,000 to Rs 51,000 but did not honour its commitment. However, the shagun amount was marginally enhanced to Rs 21,000 which was just pittance.

Shockingly, the shagun has not been disbursed for the past nine months in most districts of Punjab which amounts to literally abandoning the scheme, said Ranike adding that the shagun is basically given to girls assistance to set up their new home.

“Punjab has the highest concentration of SC population, and by conservative estimates, over 50,000 girls are awaiting shagun and their number is piling up daily,” he said, adding that the State Government has not also released a benefit of Rs 51,000 to the inter-caste couple which is to be shared by equally by the State and the Union Governments.