Punjab News Daily

Chandigarh, October 14

Reaffirming its resolve towards social justice and inclusive development, the Punjab Government today conducted a high-level review meeting of the State Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) at Punjab Bhawan under the chairpersonship of Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur. Senior officers from various departments participated in the meeting and reviewed financial progress, implementation of welfare schemes, beneficiary coverage and future strategies for strengthening SC-focused interventions.

Dr. Baljit Kaur said that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government is committed to ensuring that resources allocated for the welfare of Scheduled Castes are utilised effectively and translate into visible improvements in the lives of people. She said the Government’s approach is focused on empowering communities through better access to education, employment, skill development, livelihood opportunities and social security.

During the review meeting, the Minister informed that under the State Scheduled Castes Sub Plan for 2025-26, against the total budget provision of ₹13,987.16 crore, 97.6 per cent funds have been utilised. She said that for the financial year 2026-27, ₹17,700 crore has been provided for Scheduled Castes welfare, which constitutes 35.23 per cent of the State’s total development budget, reflecting the Punjab Government’s commitment towards equitable growth and social upliftment.

Reviewing the progress for the period from April 1, 2026 to September 30, 2026, Dr. Baljit Kaur informed that 36.6 per cent expenditure has been incurred against the budget estimates during the first half of the financial year. She directed departments to accelerate implementation, complete pending targets within timelines and ensure efficient utilisation of the remaining funds.

The Minister appreciated the departments that have shown commendable performance in implementing SCSP initiatives and achieving effective fund utilisation. She also directed departments with comparatively lower progress to accord special attention towards planning, execution and monitoring of SCSP-related schemes. Highlighting the significance of focused efforts, she said that Punjab has the highest proportion of Scheduled Caste population among all States in the country, therefore every department must work with greater responsibility and sensitivity to ensure maximum outreach of welfare initiatives.

During the review of major schemes, it was informed that Post Matric Scholarship Scheme achieved 103.81 per cent budget utilisation, Dairy Farming Scheme recorded 100 per cent utilisation and Ashirwad Scheme registered 93.58 per cent utilisation. Dr. Baljit Kaur appreciated the departments for their performance and emphasised that successful implementation of welfare programmes should be measured through the positive impact created among beneficiaries.

The Minister directed all departments to maintain updated and verified beneficiary records, including district-wise and scheme-wise details, to strengthen monitoring and enable effective assessment of SCSP outcomes. She said accurate data would help in identifying gaps and ensuring that future interventions are designed according to the actual needs of Scheduled Caste communities.