The Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday. (image-X/BhagwantMann)
Chandigarh, Punjab: The Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday approved a Rs 67 crore loan waiver for 4,750 Dalit families who had taken loans from the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting, said the long-pending demand of these families had finally been met. The families had been running from pillar to post for years to get relief, Mann said, adding that the state government has addressed a “genuine” issue that previous governments continued to ignore.
Also Read | Narayana Murthy’s Toddler Grandson Makes Rs 6.5 Crore From Infosys Dividends: Report
“Borrowing is not a hobby of a person, a person takes a loan to increase his business. Despite working hard, our government always stands with those who have lost their lives. To get them out of bad situations, we are constantly trying,” he said.
ਕਰਜ਼ਾ ਲੈਣਾ ਕਿਸੇ ਦਾ ਸ਼ੌਂਕ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੁੰਦਾ, ਇਨਸਾਨ ਆਪਣਾ ਕੰਮਕਾਰ ਵਧਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਹੀ ਕਰਜ਼ਾ ਲੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਮਿਹਨਤ ਕਰਨ ਦੇ ਬਾਵਜੂਦ ਵੀ ਹਾਲਾਤਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਹਾਰੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਸਾਡੀ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾ ਖੜ੍ਹੀ ਹੈ। ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮਾੜੇ ਹਾਲਾਤਾਂ ‘ਚੋਂ ਬਾਹਰ ਕੱਢਣ ਲਈ ਅਸੀਂ ਲਗਾਤਾਰ ਯਤਨਸ਼ੀਲ ਹਾਂ।
—-
कर्ज़ लेना किसी का शौंक नहीं होता, इंसान अपना… pic.twitter.com/QZNSgoYNLV— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) June 3, 2025
The loan waiver was originally announced by Finance Minister Harpal Cheema in his Budget speech for 2025–26, presented in March this year. It has now received formal Cabinet approval.
Cheema, who joined the Chief Minister during the press briefing, noted that the loan repayment rate at the corporation was over 84 per cent. The waiver is a well-considered decision to support the most distressed among borrowers, he said.
Also Read | Bombay Lawyers’ Body Seeks Sanction For Criminal Prosecution Against Justice Yashwant Varma
The move is expected to offer significant financial relief to the beneficiaries, many of whom were unable to repay their loans due to socio-economic challenges. It also reflects the government’s efforts to provide targeted welfare for Scheduled Castes in the state.
The Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation was set up to provide financial assistance and development support to economically weaker sections among Scheduled Castes, but a significant number of families had fallen into debt traps due to limited income and lack of employment opportunities.
