Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday reviewed all welfare schemes of the State Government and released Rs421 crore for 3 schemes.
Along with Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, Sukhbir 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 and 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.
The Finance Secretary informed the Deputy CM that Rs146.25 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. 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, 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 Rs45 crore for the Shagun Scheme that would clear all claims of shagun till May, he 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.
Issuing orders to all Deputy Commissioners to conduct door-to-door survey for Atta-Daal scheme, 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 Rs180 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.