DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur, while addressing a high-level meeting in Delhi with the Union Minister and Ministers from various States and Union Territories, highlighted the unique challenges faced by Punjab and urged the Government of India to implement key policy reforms for the welfare of Scheduled Castes. She commended the Government of India for this initiative, emphasizing that each state has its own set of challenges and that this platform provides an opportunity for states to voice their specific concerns.

Cabinet Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur highlighted that Punjab has a Scheduled Caste population of nearly 32%, which may have further increased. Given this demographic, she stated that the gap-filling fund, currently set at Rs 20 lakh per project for villages under the Adarsh Gram Yojana, be increased to at least Rs 1 crore, as the existing allocation is insufficient for comprehensive infrastructure development, particularly for road construction.

She also pointed out that the Social Justice Department relies on the Rural Development Department for implementing schemes, leading to administrative hurdles. To address this issue, she urged the Government of India to issue detailed guidelines for establishing a dedicated technical unit at the district and state levels under the Social Justice Department to ensure effective monitoring and implementation. Furthermore, she requested an increase in administrative charges from the existing 4% to 10% to cover expenses related to technical units and ensure smooth execution of welfare programs. Dr. Kaur also emphasized that states should be given autonomy in selecting villages for development projects, as they have better knowledge of ground realities. Additionally, she called for the widening of the scope of infrastructure projects, allowing states to decide on the type of development work based on local needs. She further requested that administrative charges be released in advance for selected villages so that necessary preparations can be made beforehand.

Dr. Baljit Kaur also addressed concerns regarding the grant and aid component of skill development projects, stating that these projects take considerable time to execute. The existing requirement that 75% of the previous installment be utilized before new funds are released often causes delays in implementation. She urged the Government of India to relax this condition, particularly during election periods when administrative processes may slow down project execution.

(editor@dailyworld.in)