With Punjab State Assembly polls just about nine months away, Punjab Government is all set to bring seven lakh more families under its ambitious Atta-Dal scheme.
The decision, taken by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during a series of meetings to review various social security schemes and pro-poor initiatives on Wednesday, is said to be taken with an eye on next polls in the State.
Chief Minister asked the State Food and Civil Supplies Department to immediately initiate the process to bring these seven lakh additional families within the ambit of Atta-Dal scheme so as to provide the same benefits already being extended to nearly 28 lakh families.
At present, 1.13 crore people were covered under this scheme and with the addition of seven lakh more families, the total number of people covered under this scheme would go up to 1.41 crore, which would nearly cover half of State’s population.
likewise, the Chief Minister also gave 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 the coming August 15, involving an expenditure of `22 crore.
Chief Minister was apprised by the Social Security secretary that the State Government had already distributed 1,44,324 cycles to the girls of Class XI and XII during 2015-16 at the cost of `39.50 crore.
To get feedback about timely disbursement of pensions to the beneficiaries, Badal personally called up few such beneficiaries randomly from his mobile. He also directed the concerned Secretaries and Heads of Departments to often call up these beneficiaries to get their grievances, if any redressed promptly to their satisfaction besides keeping a complete track in this regard.
To streamline system for getting financial assistance under social security schemes in hassle-free manner, Badal asked the Social Security Department to ensure strict compliance of the amended notification for new applicants.
Taking stock of Bhagat Puran Singh Health Insurance Scheme (BPSHIS), Badal asked the Principal Secretary Health to regularly monitor this scheme at her personal level so that the beneficiaries could avail the best medical and health care services.
Badal asked the Mandi Board besides Excise and Taxation and labour departments to complete the entire exercise to register the eligible farmers, traders and construction labourers respectively as beneficiaries under BPSHIS positively by May 31.
He also monitored the disbursement of scholarships for post-matric and pre-matric scholarship schemes for Scheduled Caste and OBC students under centrally sponsored schemes. He also constituted a committee comprising his Principal Secretary, Secretary Expenditure and Secretary Welfare of SCs and BCs to take effective steps for timely release of funds from Centre under different scholarship schemes.
Badal also asked all the departments to compile a compact database including name, complete address with mobile or telephone numbers of all beneficiaries under various schemes to seek their vital inputs for bringing further improvement in these schemes and quick redressal of their grievances, if any.