With an eye on the ensuing state assembly polls which are just about six months away, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday reviewed state government’s welfare schemes in the back-to-back meetings.
It was decided that in the next 15 days, the state government would disburse Shagun worth Rs 45.22 crore to as many as 30,153 beneficiaries pending since 2009 to 2015. The move came in wake of the recent Cabinet decision.
With the welfare schemes holding a key to woo the voters of various sections, Badal held a series of meetings with the senior officers of the state Social Security, SC/BC Welfare, Health and Family Welfare, labour, Mandi Board, Excise and Taxation, PWD (B&R) departments.
Taking an important decision, Badal directed the SC/BC Welfare secretary to depute District Social Welfare Officers for verification of about 4,000 remaining old Shagun cases within a fortnight so as to seek requisite funds from Finance Department for the purpose.
It was informed in the meeting that under SC Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Rs 47.77 crore had already been disbursed to 2.22 lakh beneficiaries during 2015-16. likewise, the state government had already disbursed Rs 143.07 crore under Post-Matric SC scheme during 2015-16.
Badal gave his nod to launch another phase for distribution of 75,000 cycles to the girl students studying in Class XI of government schools across the state under Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme from August 4, involving an expenditure of Rs 22 crore.
Meanwhile, the Social Security secretary informed the Chief Minister that various social security pension schemes were up-to-date as the department had already released funds for the disbursement of pension to nearly 18 lakh beneficiaries for June.
Regarding Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojana, Health and Family Welfare principal secretary told Badal that nearly 40,000 beneficiaries under this scheme have availed the facility of cashless treatment worth Rs 40 crore.
She informed that 473 empaneled hospitals, of which 215 government and 258 private, were providing healthcare facilities and treatment to the members of the scheme, that encompasses blue card holders, farmers, traders and construction workers.
On the progress of repair work of link roads by Punjab Mandi Board and PWD (B&R), it was informed that both departments have completed 95 percent and 88 percent of work, A total outlay of Rs 12,000 crore was involved for this major repair work of link roads in the state.
Reviewing overall progress of ongoing water supply and sanitation schemes, it was informed by the Minister in-charge Surjit Singh Rakhra that the department had fixed a construction target of four lakh individual household latrines in the villages, of which one lakh had already been completed and another one lakh would be completed by the end of next month.
He said that the department had also initiated the process of constructing remaining two lakh latrines which would be completed before December 2016.
Badal exhorted the officers to further intensify efforts to provide quality drinking water in the households especially in the villages, which were severely hit by the problem of quality water due to the presence of uranium and other heavy metals.
He also asked the department to complete all the performance improvement works being executed in 6500 villages on the priority for the benefit of rural populace.