Extend PMAGY to Punjab: Badal to Centre

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today urged the Centre to extend the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) to the state.
Badal met Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot here and told him that despite fulfilling all policy rules under the scheme, Punjab had not benefited from the scheme.
Punjab has the highest proportion of Scheduled Castes (31.9 per cent of the total population) amongst all states that are covered under the scheme, Badal said in his meeting with Gehlot.
He stressed that more than 2,800 villages in the state having 50 per cent or more SC population could witness integrated development by receiving grants to the tune Rs 100 crore under PMAGY.

According to an official statement released here, Badal sought that Punjab be covered under this scheme as early as possible and said while the NDA government had promised to include the state but a final decision from the ministry was still awaited.
He said five states chosen by the Centre under the scheme had less SC population as compared to Punjab.
In the meeting, Badal also had discussions about the proposed National Institute of Sports for the disabled persons. He offered 10 acres of land for this purpose at Zirakpur, the statement said.