Jaipur, July 16 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale, on Wednesday said the Central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to ensuring justice and development for all sections of society.

Addressing a press conference in Jaipur, the Minister said that through various public welfare schemes, efforts have been made to uplift 25 crore people from poverty. He highlighted that due to the economic policies of the Central government over the last 10 years, India has become the world’s fourth-largest economy.

Athawale shared that in the Union Budget 2025-26, the government has allocated Rs 1,68,478 crore for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, an increase of 2 per cent or Rs 2,960 crore from last year. For Scheduled Tribes, Rs 1,29,249.75 crore has been allocated, up by Rs 4,340.8 crore compared to the previous year.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, over 55.69 crore bank accounts have been opened across the country, including 3.71 crore in Rajasthan.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, loans worth Rs 34.32 lakh crore have been given to 53.85 crore beneficiaries nationwide. In Rajasthan, 2.30 crore people have received loans amounting to Rs 1.81 lakh crore.

Athawale said that under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, 10.33 crore LPG connections have been distributed nationwide, with 73.81 lakh connections in Rajasthan. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, around 4 crore houses have been sanctioned.

He also informed that over 9.62 crore people across the country have benefited from the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

In Rajasthan alone, more than 73 lakh people have received healthcare benefits under this scheme between 2018 and 2025.

He reiterated that the Central government is dedicated to the holistic development of the country, ensuring that benefits reach the last person in the queue.

–IANS

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