While the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is constantly working for the welfare of every class, it is also continuously focused on the welfare of the Scheduled Castes. The Punjab government has released an amount of Rs. 29.14 crore from the budget of the current financial year under the Ashirwad scheme for Scheduled Castes.

Divulging in this regard, Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that with the release of this amount, 5715 beneficiaries of scheduled castes for March 2023 have been covered. She said that these 5715 beneficiaries had been approved based on the recommendations received from the district-level committee.

The cabinet minister added that to be eligible for the benefits of the Ashirwad scheme, the applicant should be a permanent citizen of Punjab state, their family should be below the poverty line, the applicant should belong to Scheduled Caste, Backward Classes, and other economically weaker families, and all family members should meet the eligibility criteria. If the annual income from all sources is less than Rs 32,790, two daughters of such families are eligible to benefit from this scheme.

The Minister further highlighted that the Punjab Government is continuously working for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, and Economically Weaker Sections.

She mentioned that the financial assistance is directly deposited into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.