Health, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil refuted the baseless and misleading claims made by the Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and other BJP leaders regarding the Shagun Yojana. These unfounded allegations have been made in an attempt to mislead the people of the state and undermine the significant progress and positive impact the present State Government has achieved under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
He said that Jai Ram Thakur has irresponsibly claimed that the present State Government has stopped providing the financial assistance under the Shagun Yojana, leaving hundreds of applications pending in every district. This statement is not only false but also reflects the desperation and discomfort of the opposition in light of the present State government’s growing popularity and recent electoral successes.
He said that the State Government made a provision of Rs. 18.95 crore under the Shagun Scheme in the financial year 2023-2024. Out of which, an amount of Rs. 14.45 crore has already been spent. Each eligible daughter has been given Rs. 31,000 as Shagun for their marriage. During the financial year a total of 4,662 daughters have benefitted from this scheme by the present government.
The Minister said that the government has increased the budget provision for the Shagun Scheme to Rs. 30.40 crore, for the current financial year which is Rs. 12 crore more than last year. This clearly demonstrates our commitment to supporting our daughters and their families. He said that temporary delay in disbursing benefits was due to the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct in view of the Lok Sabha elections and Assembly by-elections. This delay was procedural and beyond our control. He said that after the elections the State Government has promptly released an amount of approximately Rs. 20.17 crore to all District Program Officers (DPOs) to ensure that the benefits reach the eligible beneficiaries without further delay.
He further said that the State Government has started many other schemes giving priority to the welfare of women, due to which women are becoming self-reliant. The Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Mahila Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana has been started with the objective of providing Rs. 1500 per month i.e. Rs 18,000 per year to every eligible woman of the state and 2,85,000 women of the state have already been benefitted under this scheme. Apart from this the present State Government is spending about Rs. 1,330 crore annually on social security pension under which about 8,24,000 old women, widows, single women have been benefitted in the state.
He said that the opposition’s baseless allegations are a clear attempt to divert attention from the positive changes we are bringing at the ground level. Our focus remains steadfast on ensuring the welfare and development of our people, and no amount of misinformation can deter us from our mission. He urged the opposition leaders to refrain from spreading falsehoods and instead join hands in working towards the betterment of our state and its people.
