Amarinder Singh, Punjab Chief Minister announced waiver of all the loans up to Rs 50,000, given to SCs and the economically weaker sections by the State Schedule Caste Corporation and the State Backward Classes Corporation.
Making an announcement in the state Assembly, Amarinder said his government, already announced a series of benefits for Dalits, SCs and backward classes in matters of jobs and reservation in allotment of houses etc, was further committed to filling all vacant posts of SCs in government in a time-bound manner to clear the backlog.
The government is also in the process of refining financial benefits to SCs, OBCs and minorities under the schemes such as Ashirwad, Post-Matric Scholarship, provision of loans under Venture Capital Fund and the Atta-Dal scheme, he said, adding that some of the decisions on these will be announced in the budget.
A new scheme to provide free houses to homeless and low- cost houses to economically weaker sections will be initiated both in rural and urban areas during 2017-18 and details were likely to be announced in the budget, the Chief Minister said.
The government will put in place a policy of 30 per cent reservation to SCs in all allotments by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Likewise, reservation for freedom fighters and their families has been increased to 3 per cent.
The government will also give priority to women and senior citizens in allotments in the state, Amarinder said.
He said his government had already announced an increase in threshold limit of annual income for pensions, besides undertaking verification to delete fake people enrolled by the previous government.
The government, which had already increased women reservation to 50 per cent in PRIs and ULBs, will reserve 33 percent of women/girls in government jobs, and also provide free education to girls in all government schools and colleges from nursery to PhD.
To ensure that women get their rights without any obstruction, the existing State Women Commission will be strengthened, he said.
The chief minister reiterated his poll promise to add ‘Chai-Chinni’ to the Atta-Dal scheme, which is being revamped as per a decision was already taken by the government.
He said the Punjab government said it has initiated several measures to boost urban and rural development, as well connectivity in the state, along with culture, tourism and sports.
The government will also allocate suitable land for burial grounds for Muslims and Christians.
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