Chandigarh, November 29;
The Punjab Government will commence a series of awareness camps aimed at women’s health, hygiene, and employment opportunities starting December 2 in Malout, Sri Muktsar Sahib district. This announcement was made today by Dr. Baljit Kaur, Minister of Social Security, Women and Child Development, during a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh.
Dr. Baljit Kaur stated that the state government will organize a state-level event in Faridkot on December 3 to celebrate the International Day of Divyang Persons, where individuals and organizations dedicated to the welfare of Divyang persons will be honored.
The Cabinet Minister expressed the government’s commitment to empowering women and girls and creating a safe environment for them. She emphasized that the purpose of these camps is to provide essential health check-ups for women and raise awareness about various health issues. This initiative is part of the government’s comprehensive strategy to empower women through various programs aimed at enhancing their safety and employment opportunities.
She mentioned that free health check-ups will be conducted by expert teams from district hospitals during the camps. Services will include screenings for breast, cervical and oral cancer, blood pressure checks, diabetes tests, anemia assessments and the distribution of necessary medications. The camps will also focus on educating women about important health topics such as contraceptive methods, family planning, urinary tract infections (UTIs), menstrual hygiene and adolescent health.
The Minister noted that these camps will be organized in collaboration with the Employment Generation Department, Skill Development Department, Ayurvedic Department, Rural Development Department and Local Government Departments. Various stalls will be set up during the camps to provide information about government schemes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, One Stop Center Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, nutrition programs, child-related schemes, 181 Women Helpline and pension schemes.
Dr. Baljit Kaur stressed the importance of these camps in ensuring timely health interventions for women while also providing them with vital information about available resources for their empowerment. She stated that camps will be organized at the district level across Punjab starting from December 2 in Sri Muktsar Sahib. Apart from this, camps will be held in Amritsar on December 4, Barnala on December 5, Bathinda on December 9, Faridkot on December 10, Fatehgarh Sahib on December 11, Fazilka on December 12, Ferozepur on December 13, Gurdaspur on December 14, Hoshiarpur on December 18, Jalandhar on December 19, Kapurthala on December 20, Ludhiana on December 24, Malerkotla on January 2, 2025, Mansa on January 3, Moga on January 7, Pathankot on January 8, Patiala on January 9, Roop Nagar on January 14, Sangrur on January 15, SAS Nagar on January 16, SBS Nagar on January 17 and Tarn Taran on January 18.
The Cabinet Minister also mentioned that during the state-level event in Faridkot on December 3, in celebration of the International Divyang Diwas, a total of nine individuals and four organizations will be honored in four different categories: Best Employee, Best Employer, Best Sports Person and Best Organization dedicated to the welfare of Divyang persons. The Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann will give a cash prize of Rs 10,000 and a certificate to each award winner.
Dr. Baljit Kaur reiterated the government’s commitment to promoting the comprehensive development of Divyang persons through various initiatives. She announced that a notification regarding free travel facilities for companions of visually impaired individuals will be issued soon. Punjab Roadways and PRTC buses are providing a 50% fare concession for Divyang persons; this year alone, this initiative has benefited over 7.5 users at a cost of Rs 2.19 crore. In the current financial year 2024-25, financial assistance amounting to Rs 278.17 crore has been provided under the state pension scheme, covering 265694 Divyang persons. Additionally, scholarships totaling ₹3.37 crore have been distributed to encourage education among 12,607 children with disabilities.
She added that under the sponsorship scheme to combat child labour and violence against children from Divyang persons families attending school receive a monthly stipend of Rs 4,000.
Furthermore, the Punjab Government has allocated Rs 23.16 crore under the SIPDA scheme to enhance accessibility for Divyang persons in 144 government buildings. A special campaign is being launched across various departments to address the backlog of vacant positions for Divyang persons; this includes identifying 1,754 positions for direct recruitment and an additional 556 positions for promotions.
The Cabinet Minister announced that approval has been granted for a TCHV center in Ludhiana to provide specialized education for visually impaired individuals. Additionally, Rs 1.67 crore has been allocated for upgrading schools for visually impaired students in Ludhiana.
The Cabinet Minister concluded by stating that under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s leadership, the Punjab Government is steadfast in its mission to empower children, women, the elderly and Divyang persons while recognizing their contributions to society.
