DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

District-level camps will be organized to raise awareness about the schemes run by the Department of Social Justice, Empowerment, and Minorities for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, so that maximum benefits can be provided to them. This announcement was made by the Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment, and Minorities, Dr. Baljit Kaur, during a meeting with the SC/BC Teachers' Union Punjab at the Civil Secretariat today.

During the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Social Justice, Empowerment, and Minorities D.K. Tiwari, Director Amrit Singh, Director-cum-Joint Secretary Raj Bahadur Singh, and Deputy Director Ravinderpal Singh participated in discussions regarding the union's demands.

The SC/BC Teachers' Union, Punjab, informed Dr. Baljit Kaur about their demands, which include implementing reservations as per population, ensuring that open merit reserved category candidates (all reserved category candidates who achieve the general category merit) are not counted against the reservation points during departmental recruitments and promotions, giving reserved category candidates the necessary relaxation in marks and application fees during departmental recruitments, implementing reservations during admissions to meritorius schools and ensuring that the Social Justice Department pays the examination fees for SC and BC students.

Dr. Baljit Kaur carefully listened to the union's demands and assured them that every legitimate demand would be fulfilled.

Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is consistently striving for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, minorities and economically weaker sections.

She mentioned that the state government aims to improve the social and economic status of the youth from Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes. Continuous efforts are being made by the department to achieve this goal.
(editor@dailyworld.in)