Punjab Govt to streamline process of providing aid to special kids

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Chandigarh, March 6

The government will consider giving unconditional financial assistance to mentally and physically challenged children, said the Minister of Social Security and Development of Women and Children, Dr Baljit Kaur in reply to a question by MLA Saravjit Kaur Manuke in the session today.

Manuke said, “It is unfortunate that mentally and physically challenged children many times are ignored by their own parents. Special children need to be given top priority. A special card using print of their iris should be made for their identification after their birth for future use. This will save procedural formalities, which delayed the benefits to reach the deserving”.

Giving details of the existing government schemes, Minister Baljit Kaur said, “At present, 1,93,911 dependent children and 2,48,061 disabled persons are being provided financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month. Making provisions of unconditional financial assistance to such children will be considered.”

In reply to a notice concerning the poor condition of the Doraha-Ludhiana bypass and Doraha-Ludhiana-Moga road, PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh said the tender for the nine-and-a half km stretch on the Doraha-Ludhiana bypass and 27 km on the Ludhiana-Moga road was allotted on January 23.

In a reply to another notice by MLA Gurdit Singh Sekhon pertaining to problems being faced by people due to incomplete work on the Moga-Talwandi road at Dagru Wale Fatak (Railway crossing), the minister said the work was handed over to a firm in 2011 with a deadline of September 2014.

However, the project remained incomplete. The project had now been allotted and work had started from January. The deadline is February 1, 2024.

Interestingly, the Budget session was the shortest. “With just seven sittings, this is the shortest Budget session. The Congress had 14 in its first Budget session. Instead of improving on the level of mutual participation, why are we decreasing the number of sittings,” asked Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira.

1.93L children getting benefits

“At present, 1,93,911 children and 2,48,061 disabled persons are being provided financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month. Making provisions of unconditional financial assistance to such children will be considered”.