Ambedkar Jayanti: 30% of development funds to be spent on SC welfare, says Punjab CM

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said the state government will spend at least 30% of funds under all government schemes for welfare of the Scheduled Castes (SC) population in the state.

He announced this, while paying floral tributes to the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr BR Ambedkar, on his 130th birth anniversary, at a virtual state-level event. The CM also announced the filling up of SC vacancy backlog in departments on priority, while promising to explore a post-matric overseas scholarship scheme for SC students. This scheme will be on the lines of the Baroda State Scholarship Scheme awarded to Baba Sahib under a scheme that Sayajirao Gaekwad III had set up.

The CM announced a special ₹500 crore Rural Link Roads project for 2021-22, which will encompass the construction of new link roads to the settlements of SCs and other poorer sections of society, which do not have road connectivity. Cremation grounds and places of worship will also be connected through the project.

A special allocation of ₹100 crore is proposed in 2021-22 for modernisation of villages with more than 50% SC population, the CM said. Smart phones will be given to Class-12 SC students in government schools.

Over 150 village-level awareness camps and training at nine Training and Extension Centres will be conducted, with special emphasis on SC beneficiaries, he added.

He added that his government also proposes to provide 30% reservation for SC applicants in villages under the ‘Har Ghar Pakki Chhat’ scheme, and 30% in the affordable housing scheme for EWS. A Dr BR Ambedkar Institute of Training at Jalandhar for competitive exams, including Civil Services. It will have 50% reservation for SC students.

Lamenting the anti-dalit mindset that persists, he said only awareness could work against it. “Unfortunately, I do not have the resources to do all that I want to do to spread Dr Ambedkar’s message,” he said.