Chandigarh: The Punjab Government has provided Rs 21,000 to the daughters of the economically weaker section of the state on the occasion of their marriages Shagun. Rs 39 crore has been released to 19082 daughters of the state as financial assistance under the Ashirwad Scheme. 

Punjab Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Sadhu Singh Dharmsot said that as many as 10873 girls belonging to Scheduled Castes had been given the benefit to the tune of Rs 22 crore under Ashirwad Scheme during the year 2020, while Rs 17 crore was handed over to 8209 girls of Backward Classes and economically weaker sections at the time of their marriages.

Sadhu Singh Dharmsot

The Minister pointed out that the Punjab Government has notified its new Dr. B.R. Ambedkar SC Post Matric Scholarship Scheme on October 27, 2020, which had been applicable from the academic session 2020-21. The benefit of this scheme would be given to those students of Scheduled Castes, who passed matriculation from Punjab State and Chandigarh.

Under this scheme the income limit (both of mother-father) had been enhanced from Rs 2.50 lakh to Rs 4 lakh. The benefit under the scheme had also been extended to Central and State level institutes of higher education of Punjab and Chandigarh.

Punjab government

The Minister said that the State Government has run three welfare schemes to grant benefits to minority students. These schemes are pre-matric scholarship scheme, post-matric scholarship scheme and merit-cum-means based scholarship, said the Minister adding that during 2020 benefit to the tune of Rs 76.14 crore were extended to 4,68,622 under pre-matric scholarship scheme, while under post matric scholarship scheme 56664 students got benefit of Rs 30.18 crore, whereas under merit-cum-means based scholarship scheme as many as 2404 students received scholarships worth Rs 6.45 crore through DBT mode.