Chandigarh, Punjab Cabinet Minister Baljit Kaur on Monday said the state government has sanctioned Rs 34 crore for the beneficiaries under the state's Ashirwad scheme.

Under the Ashirwad scheme, financial assistance of Rs 51,000 is provided for the marriage or remarriage of a woman belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Backward Class (BC) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS).

Social Justice, Empowerment and Minority Affairs Minister Kaur said Rs 34 crore has been sanctioned for 6,786 beneficiaries of the Ashirwad scheme.

He said Rs 27.32 crore has been sanctioned for 5,357 SC beneficiaries for the financial year 2023-24.

Kaur said the state government has sanctioned Rs 7.28 crore for 1,429 BC and EWS beneficiaries for the year 2023-24.

He said that this amount will be distributed directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

The eligibility criteria for Ashirwad Scheme requires applicants to be a permanent resident of Punjab, belong to SC, BC or EWS, have an annual family income of less than Rs 32,790 and fall below the poverty line.

Financial assistance is available for a maximum of two daughters per eligible family.