LAHORE: The Punjab government has taken significant steps to ensure the welfare of its minority communities, including Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs, through enhanced financial support during key religious celebrations.
As part of its inclusive approach, the Punjab government has allocated Rs150 million as a Christmas grant for deserving Christian families, significantly increasing the grant amount from Rs50 million in previous years.
This initiative will provide Rs15,000 to each of the 10,000 Christian families selected to receive the support.
The grant distribution process will begin after the Punjab Cabinet’s approval, with district administrations tasked with verifying data and ensuring the grants reach eligible Christian families.
Additionally, Minorities Leader Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora in a statement said that, for the first time in history, the Punjab government allocated financial support for Hindu families during Diwali. Rs15,000 was given to each of the 1,400 Hindu families, with the total grant amounting to Rs21 million.
This initiative that comes following instructions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif marks a shift in the inclusion of more minorities as no grants were previously provided to Hindus for Diwali.
Furthermore, the government has increased the grant for Sikh families in honor of Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary. The number of Sikh families receiving assistance has been raised from 300 to 800, with each family now receiving Rs15,000.
