Rs. 31.78 Crore Released for Scheduled Castes — Dr. Baljit Kaur
Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur announced that the Punjab government has released Rs. 31.78 crore under the Ashirwad scheme during the current financial year 2025-26 for 6,231 beneficiaries belonging to Scheduled Castes providing direct financial assistance to thousands of poor families across the state.
She said that the Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Sardar Bhagwant Singh Mann is committed to empowering every section of society economically and the Ashirwad scheme is a clear manifestation of this commitment, playing a significant role in reducing the financial burden on poor families during their daughters' marriages.
Giving more details in this regard, Dr. Baljit Kaur informed that during the current financial year, 6,231 applications were received on the Ashirwad portal from Faridkot, Ferozepur, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Patiala, S.B.S. Nagar, Sangrur and Tarn Taran districts for which an amount of Rs. 31.78 crore has been released.
The Social Justice Minister further informed that this amount has provided financial assistance to 155 beneficiaries in Faridkot, 242 in Ferozepur, 124 in Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, 1,647 in Fazilka, 226 in Gurdaspur and 70 in Jalandhar.
Similarly, 615 beneficiaries in Kapurthala, 2,498 in Ludhiana, 178 in Patiala and S.B.S. 152 beneficiaries from Nagar, 117 from Sangrur and 207 from Tarn Taran have also benefited from this scheme.
Dr. Baljit Kaur explained that under the Ashirwad scheme, the state government provides financial assistance of ₹51,000 for the marriage of girls from low-income families, so that their families receive financial support during the wedding.
The Cabinet Minister stated that to avail of this scheme, the applicant must be a permanent resident of Punjab, the family must be below the poverty line and the family's annual income from all sources must be less than ₹32,790. Two daughters from eligible families are entitled to benefit from this scheme.
She further added that the financial assistance is disbursed directly into the beneficiaries' bank accounts through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer), ensuring transparency and quick distribution.
Dr. Baljit Kaur said that the Mann government's clear objective is to ensure that no eligible family is deprived of government welfare schemes and to uplift the living standards of Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, and economically weaker sections by bringing them into the mainstream.