4 years on, Punjab brides got belated shagun: CAG

CHANDIGARH: It took the Punjab government four years to send wedding gifts to brides from financially backward families under its flagship Shagun scheme. This has been brought out by the Comptroller and auditor general (CAG) in its report on the state released on Friday.

The SAD-BJP government had launched the Shagun scheme in 2007 after winning the assembly elections and promised to give Rs 15,000 each to the brides as financial assistance. While many of the 1.6 lakh women who got married in the last five years, received their cheques belatedly, there are many others who have still not got the money, the CAG states.

CAG said that Rs 159 crore was spent by the government, but due to 'non-provision' of funds from the finance department, the shagun (wedding gift) reached beneficiaries with an inordinate delay and not immediately after their marriage when couples need the money.

The scheme covers brides from Scheduled Caste, Other Backward Classes and economically weaker sections. It also includes widows and divorcees among scheduled castes.

CAG also said that 7.13 lakh out of 11.28 lakh adolescent SC girls were denied the Rs50 scholarship, meant for securing full attendance at schools. It said that more than one lakh were also not given secondary education allowance of Rs 3,000, due to which these girls could not pass matriculation.

This, it said, was due to non-clearance of bills by the treasury which did not have funds to be released.

CAG also pointed that 29,280 girl students across Punjab were deprived of bicycles to travel to their schools as part of government's another Mai Bhago scheme. It said, that the government could only spend Rs 70 crore against the allocated budget of Rs 152 crore for the scheme.

The audit report also detected two of government schemes meant to improve the adverse sex ratio in the state, see their expenditure drop much below the allocated budget provision of Rs 187.5 crore. Only Rs 70.17 crore was used.