Punjab releases Rs 28.01 crore under Ashirwad Scheme for daughters’ marriages
5,492 Scheduled Caste Families Across 19 Districts to Receive ₹51,000 Financial Assistance
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, July 26, 2026: The Punjab Government has released ₹28.01 crore under the Ashirwad Scheme during the 2026-27 financial year to provide financial assistance for the marriages of daughters belonging to economically weaker Scheduled Caste families across the state.
Announcing the initiative, Punjab Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur said that 5,492 beneficiaries across 19 districts will receive assistance under the scheme through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), ensuring transparency and timely disbursal of funds.
Dr. Baljit Kaur said the assistance has been approved based on applications received through the Ashirwad Portal. The beneficiaries belong to Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Moga, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Patiala, Pathankot, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar, SBS Nagar, Sangrur and Malerkotla.
Among the districts, Fazilka has the highest number of beneficiaries at 882, followed by Patiala (611), Ferozepur (604), Ludhiana (403), Moga (400), Sri Muktsar Sahib (384), Hoshiarpur (333), Gurdaspur (297), Barnala (288) and SBS Nagar (219).
The remaining beneficiaries include Bathinda (163), Fatehgarh Sahib (160), Sangrur (160), SAS Nagar (114), Jalandhar (114), Rupnagar (104), Faridkot (103), Malerkotla (95) and Pathankot (58).
Under the Ashirwad Scheme, eligible families receive ₹51,000 as financial assistance for the marriage of their daughters. To qualify, applicants must be permanent residents of Punjab, belong to a Below Poverty Line (BPL) family and have an annual household income of less than ₹32,790 from all sources. The scheme covers a maximum of two daughters per family.
The minister said the financial assistance is directly credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts through the DBT system, eliminating intermediaries and ensuring transparency.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to social welfare, Dr. Baljit Kaur said the Bhagwant Mann-led government remains focused on improving the socio-economic conditions of Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and other economically weaker sections through transparent and people-centric welfare schemes.