DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Minister for Social Security, Women and Child Development, Dr Baljit Kaur said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government is continuously making sincere efforts for the welfare of economically weaker sections and helpless children. Marching ahead with the same objective, about three thousand applications have been received by the Punjab government under the Sponsorship and Foster Care Scheme and Rs 7.91 crore have been released during the current fiscal to 1704 children as financial assistance by the state.

She was here to preside over the state-level function organized at NIPER, Sector 67, held today regarding the distribution of financial benefits under the Sponsorship and Foster Care Scheme.

Rolling out the UDID (Adhar) based Direct Benefit Transfer of assistance from today onwards, she also handed over the approval letters of assistance to the new beneficiaries of the scheme. Sri Muktsar Sahib district has topped in registering maximum beneficiaries while Fatehgarh Sahib district remained second.

Dr Baljit Kaur while addressing the beneficiaries said that continuous efforts are being made by the department for child rights and protection. She said that the main objective of Mission Vatsalya Scheme is to implement the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and to ensure proper care, protection, development, treatment and social rehabilitation of children living in difficult conditions and children besides looking after the interests of the Children by adopting an appropriate approach.

The Cabinet Minister said that the sponsorship scheme is an aid provided to the children of families belonging to economically weaker sections to enable the child to remain in a family and continue his/her education.
(editor@dailyworld.in)