North News
Chandigarh, November 25
The Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has disbursed ₹9.51 crore to 1,867 beneficiaries under the Ashirwad Scheme, aimed at supporting Scheduled Castes (SC), Backward Classes (BC), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Minister for Social Justice Dr. Baljit Kaur said on Saturday. Of the total amount, ₹6.78 crore was released to 1,331 beneficiaries from BC and EWS categories for pending applications from 2023-24, received via the Ashirwad Portal during 2024-25. These beneficiaries hail from districts including Barnala, Jalandhar, and Sangrur.
An additional ₹2.73 crore was distributed to 536 SC beneficiaries, covering applications from Bathinda, Rupnagar, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, among others. Dr. Kaur highlighted that eligible applicants must be permanent Punjab residents, belong to families earning less than ₹32,790 annually, and be associated with SC, BC, or EWS categories. The scheme supports up to two daughters per family.
“The Punjab government is committed to uplifting marginalized communities by transferring financial aid directly to their accounts to enhance economic stability,” Kaur said, reaffirming the government’s focus on social welfare.
