CHANDIGARH: As an Id-ul-Fitr gift, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced the decision of the State Government to include daughters of economically poor Muslims in the "Ashirwad" scheme. According to an official release here, under the scheme, they are entitled to a grant of Rs. 15,000 at the time of their marriage.

The Chief Minister made the announcement while addressing a religious congregation after joining mass prayer at Idgah in Malerkotla town of Sangrur district. The scheme has already been extended to the families of the Dalits and Christian communities.

Expressing concern at lack of a basic infrastructure for higher education for the Muslim community, Capt. Singh announced plans to set up a medical and nursing college at Malerkotla, for which land would be allotted by the Wakf Board. He said the site had already been selected and the Government and the Wakf Board would jointly invest in the venture to offer better opportunities for medical and para-medical education.

The Chief Minister also announced a direct bus service by the State-owned PEPSU Road Transport Corporation connecting Malerkotla with Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan. He also announced a grant of Rs.15 lakh for the development of the Idgah and promised to speed up the appointment of Mufti-e-Punjab and the Imams of the local Jama and Shahi Masjids.

Referring to development projects initiated in the Malerkotla constituency, Capt. Singh said Rs. 62 crore had been sanctioned for the execution of various development works, while Rs.30 crore was allocated for repair and strengthening of the roads. He also mentioned that the scheme to ensure 100 per cent coverage of the town with drinking water and sewerage facility at a cost of Rs.1.06 crore under the Punjab Nirman Scheme was under execution. A B. Ed. college and Urdu Academy for the promotion of Urdu language had been established.

Later talking to reporters, Capt. Singh sought to clarify that his proposed "road show" would now begin after the second week of November. It would follow the series of "Jan Sampark" (mass contact) rallies at the block level as proposed by the president of the party's State unit, Shamsher Singh Dullo. Both programmes would aim at relaying the achievements of the Government to the citizens.

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