CHANDIGARH, FEBRUARY 22:
The Punjab Government has provided Rs. 21,000 to the daughtersof the economically weaker section of the state on the occasion of their marriageas Shagun. Rs. 39 crore has been released to 19082 daughters of the state as financialassistance under the Ashirwad Scheme.
Punjab Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities MinisterMr. Sadhu Singh Dharmsot said that as many as 10873 girls belonging toScheduled Castes had been given the benefit to the tune of Rs. 22 crore underAshirwad Scheme during the year 2020,, while Rs. 17 crore was handed over to8209 girls of Backward Classes and economically weaker sections at the time oftheir marriages.
The Minister pointed out that the Punjab Government has notifiedits 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 benefitof this scheme would be given to those students of Scheduled Castes, who passedmatriculation from Punjab State and Chandigarh. Under this scheme the incomelimit (both of mother-father) had been enhanced from Rs. 2.50 lakh to Rs. 4lakh. The benefit under the scheme had also been extended to Central and Statelevel institutes of higher education of Punjab and Chandigarh.
The Minister said that the State Government has runthree welfare schemes to grant benefits to minority students. These schemesare pre-matric scholarship scheme, post-matric scholarship scheme andmerit-cum-means based scholarship, said the Minister adding that during 2020benefit to the tune of Rs. 76.14 crore were extended to 4,68,622 underpre-matric scholarship scheme, while under post matric scholarship scheme 56664students got benefit of Rs. 30.18 crore, whereas under merit-cum-means basedscholarship scheme as many as 2404 students received scholarships worth Rs.6.45 crore through DBT mode.
