Punjab Welfare Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike on Friday released the data of the expenditure of the State Government under different welfare schemes saying in the period from 2007 to August, 2014, Rs593.39 crore has been disbursed under Shagun Scheme to almost 4 lakh beneficiaries.
The amount of Rs549.54 was spent on the Post Matric Scholarship schemes to finance the study expenses of 9,86,033 students belonging to the SC communities, the minister said.
These statistics were released by the minister during a high level review meeting of the department to gauge the progress of various welfare schemes.
Taking stock of the progress of the welfare schemes, Ranike asked the officers to make sure that the deserving candidates of these downtrodden communities derive the benefit of the schemes. He also instructed the officers to make a foolproof service delivery mechanism so as to minimise the hurdles for these under privileged sections.
The Minister said a malicious propaganda was being launched by the Congress party falsely blaming the SAD-BJP government for ignoring the welfare of the SC and BC communities. He announced that in comparison to the work done by their government none of the Congress regime in Punjab could match that welfare work.
“This year Punjab has increased 37.42 per cent budget amount which would be spent on different Welfare schemes of SC, BC and Minorities,” he added.