File Photo: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said Punjab government would provide monetary help to girls a month prior to their wedding instead of on the wedding day, as has been the norm under 'Shagun Scheme' hitherto.
Speaking on the second day of Sangat Darshan programme in Amritsar, he said the government has decided to advance the time of financial assistance to a month before the wedding day and added that the modalities have been worked out and people would be getting the benefits soon.
Under the scheme, scheduled caste families with annual income up to Rs 30,000 are given Rs 15,000 as 'shagun' for marriage of one of their daughters.
"It's part of our endeavour to ensure the welfare of the poorest of the poor in the state," added Badal.
Urging the Centre to help the states, especially those along the International Border like Punjab, to combat the menace of terrorism effectively, the chief minister said funds must be allotted generously to the border states for modernization of the police force.
He further said the Centre and the state must formulate a combined action plan to tackle this grave national problem.
Batting for effective sealing of borders to check infiltration, he said the Centre must take necessary action in this regard.
Appreciating the Punjab Police for showing exemplary courage during the Gurdaspur attack, he said every citizen, including the prime minister and the home minister, had lauded them for their heroic deed.
He categorically stated that the allegations pertaining to shifting of IIM from Amritsar to Bathinda were completely baseless and unwarranted.
Mr Badal said neither he nor Cabinet Minister Anil Joshi had brought IIM to the holy city but Finance Minister Arun Jaitley gave this project, and Post Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research, to the city in the budgetary speech.
On the recent statement of Chief Parliamentary Secretary Navjot Kaur Sidhu that she "will quit if BJP partners with SAD in 2017 poll", he said the alliance was everlasting and firm. Stating that Ms Sidhu was like his daughter, Mr Badal said he was a votary of morality in politics and would not like to comment on this issue.
"Throughout my political career I have refrained from making any personal attack on somebody, as my conscience does not allow it" he added.