The North News
Chandigarh, October 13
Punjab’s Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities, Baljit Kaur, on Monday announced the release of ₹29.33 crore under the state’s Ashirwad Scheme to provide marriage assistance to 5,751 daughters from Scheduled Caste families across 17 districts. The minister said the assistance reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring social welfare and economic empowerment. Beneficiaries were selected through the Ashirwad Portal, with funds disbursed to families in districts including Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Moga, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Patiala, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar, SBS Nagar, Sangrur and Malerkotla.
The largest number of beneficiaries were in Jalandhar (1,087), Ludhiana (839) and Moga (885). Under the scheme, eligible families receive ₹51,000 in financial aid for the marriage of up to two daughters. To qualify, applicants must be permanent residents of Punjab and belong to Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes or other economically weaker sections, with a family income not exceeding ₹32,790 annually. The aid is directly credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts via the Direct Benefit Transfer system.Dr. Kaur said the initiative is part of the state’s broader effort to support vulnerable communities and promote inclusive growth under the leadership of Bhagwant Mann.
