30 pc of funds in Punjab govt schemes to be spent on SC welfare schemes: Amarinder Singh

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], April 14 (ANI): The Punjab government on Wednesday announced that at least 30 per cent of funds under all government schemes will be spent on the welfare of the state's Scheduled Castes (SC) population.
On the occasion of Dr. BR Ambedkar's 130th birth anniversary, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh paid homage by announcing a host of other measures also to uplift the Dalit community.
The Chief Minister also paid a floral tribute to the architect of the Indian Constitution at a virtual state-level event and announced filling up of the SC vacancy backlog in all departments on priority, while promising to explore a post-matric overseas scholarship scheme for SC students, on the lines of the Baroda State Scholarship Scheme awarded to Baba Sahib under a scheme established by Sayajirao Gaekwad III.
According to a media release, Singh announced that his government also proposes to provide 30 per cent reservation for SC applicants in villages under the `Har Ghar Pakki Chhat' scheme, and also 30 per cent in the affordable housing scheme for EWS.
The Punjab government also plans to set up a Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute of Training at Jalandhar for competitive exams, including civil services. Proposed to be established under GGRK mission, it will have 50 per cent seat reservation for candidates belonging to SC families.
Other projects planned include Dr. BR Ambedkar museum and Dr. BR Ambedkar Institute of Management in PTU Campus, Kapurthala, the Chief Minister added.
Some of the other proposed projects include a special Rs 500 crore Rural Link Roads project for the financial year 2022 to connect the bastis of SC and other poorer sections of the society, which currently do not have road connectivity.
Another allocation of Rs 100 crore is proposed in 2021-22 for modernisation of villages having more than 50 per cent SC population.
Smartphones will be given to all class 12 SC students in government schools, while to motivate people to take up dairy farming, 150 village-level awareness camps and training at 9 training & extension centres will be conducted, with special emphasis on Scheduled Caste beneficiaries, he added. (ANI)