CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday launched the enhanced social security pension of Rs 1500 per month, a threefold increase from Rs 500 earlier given by the SAD-BJP alliance government. He claimed that it fulfilled a major poll promise of his party.
At the start of the event, the CM first paid tributes to the former chief minister late Beant Singh on his 26th death anniversary by observing two minutes silence.
In his address, Amarinder said that out of 547 poll promises made in the manifesto, 422 have already been fully implemented, 52 partially while 59 are yet to be implemented. “Thus, we have fulfilled 90 percent of the implementable promises which is the highest ever in any state after Chandra Babu Naidu’s government in Andhra Pradesh”, said Captain Amarinder Singh adding 14 promises are difficult to fulfil as these are related to VAT which has been replaced by the GST regime.
Elaborating on the other welfare measures undertaken by his government in line with the several promises made with the people, Amarinder said that the amount under shagun scheme (Aashirwad) has already been enhanced to Rs 51,000. Likewise, relief worth Rs 4700 crore has been disbursed to small and marginal farmers under ‘Kisaani Karza Raahat’ besides Rs 520 crore as debt relief to farm labourers and landless farmers. As promised, the state government has already given Smartphones to the students of Class XII, he claimed.
He added that his government had already revived the SC scholarship to enable the poor and needy students to pursue higher learning. Similarly, loans upto Rs 50,000 of SC/BC Corporation have also been waived towards debt relief for disadvantages sections of the society. Towards empowerment of women, the state government has already ensured 50% reservation for them in panchayats, urban local bodies besides 33 percent reservation in jobs along with free bus travel facility. As many as 17 lakh jobs have been facilitated as part of ‘Ghar Ghar Naukri’ initiative apart from free medical insurance to 38 lakh persons.
Reiterating his government’s firm commitment to fulfill all the promises made to the people, he said that every single grain from the mandis has been lifted by honouring the promise ‘Dana Dana Chakkange’ besides making all out efforts to protect the precious natural resource of water in the right earnest.
Amarinder disbursed cheques of enhanced pension to 10 old age, widow, destitute and handicapped beneficiaries to mark the symbolic launch of the scheme across the state.
Those present included finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, social justice minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot.
