To provide financial assistance for the education of Scheduled Caste (SC) students, the Punjab Government has released Rs. 92 crores out of the budgetary provision for the year 2024-25 under Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste students.
In addition, Rs. 245 crores have been earmarked for scholarships for the year 2024-25. This announcement was made by Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Dr. Baljit Kaur during a press conference at Punjab Bhavan, Chandigarh today.
Giving information in this regard, Cabinet Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur said that the Punjab government has released 2000 crore rupees. 366 crores for clearing arrears under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste students for the years 2017-18 to 2019-20 during the financial year 2023-24. Out of this Rs. 283.62 crores have already been distributed to 1008 institutions. The minister also assured that the rest of the outstanding institutions will get the payments soon.
The Cabinet Minister said that Rs. 92 crores have been released for Punjab students studying in government institutions and institutions of other states. Out of this amount Rs. An amount of Rs.59.34 crore has already been distributed to 256 institutions and efforts are being intensified to distribute the remaining funds to other institutions.
Apart from this, the Cabinet Minister said that Rs. 229.23 crore was released for students in the financial year 2023-24 and Rs. In the current financial year 2024-25, Rs 245 crore has been earmarked for scholarships for students.
Cabinet Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur said that the funds distributed under the Wazifa Scheme for Scheduled Caste students from 2017 to 2020 were neither provided by the Central Government nor paid by the then Congress Government of Punjab. Due to such negligence of the previous governments, the colleges stopped the degrees of SC students.
The cabinet minister said that ever since the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann took office, every effort is being made to ensure that there is no disruption in the education of Scheduled Caste students.
He also appealed to the Central Government to release the outstanding portion under the Wazifa Scheme as soon as possible to avoid any hindrance in the education of Scheduled Caste students in Punjab. Further, he said that for the academic year 2024-25, around 2,31,000 students have made new registrations under the scholarship scheme.
The minister said that the responsibility of distributing this amount to various government institutions and ensuring its proper utilization has been assigned to the administrative department. This department will be responsible for proper utilization of funds.
The Cabinet Minister further said that the Punjab Government is committed to the welfare and rights of Scheduled Caste students. Under this scheme, financial assistance for their studies will be provided on time while ensuring continuity in their studies. This amount will serve as a significant support for their education.
The Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities said that education is the most powerful tool for social change. He asserted that the Punjab government will ensure that no student is forced to abandon their studies due to financial hardship. He said that the Punjab government is fully committed to the welfare of Scheduled Caste students.
The Cabinet Minister further said that the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is not only dedicated to protecting the rights of Scheduled Caste students but is also actively working to turn this commitment into reality.
He highlighted that the funds disbursed under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme would encourage students to pursue their education with interest and help overcome financial challenges.
The minister said that the government is planning to launch several schemes not only to provide financial assistance but also to help in the all-round development of scheduled caste students. These efforts will not only help the students in the field of education but will also help in creating employment opportunities, which will serve as an important step towards turning their dreams into reality.
Baljit Kaur said that the Punjab government is taking several important steps under the post-matric scholarship scheme to promote the education of scheduled caste students.
On this occasion, Director of Social Justice, Empowerment and Minority Department Shri Sandeep Hans and Deputy Director Ravinderpal Singh Sandhu were also present.