Pb govt chalks out scheme to provide financial assistance to

The Punjab government has chalked out a comprehensive strategy to provide security and financial assistance to acid attack victims in order to make them self-reliant, state minister Razia Sultana said today.

She said the Punjab Financial Assistance to Acid Victims Scheme 2017 has been framed in this regard and submitted for the approval of the cabinet.

The scheme envisages Rs 8,000 financial assistance per month to an acid attack victim by the Social Security and Women and Child Development Department, in case of 40 per cent or more disability following the attack.

The Social Security and Women and Child Development minister said apart from the scheme, financial assistance to acid attack victims is also being provided under various notifications issued by the home department.

"There is also a provision of Rs 3 lakh as financial assistance in case of disfiguring of face, and Rs 50,000 onetime assistance for the cure of other wounds," she said.

The minister said an adhoc relief of Rs 25,000 is given to the victims immediately after an acid attack, whereas Rs 5 lakh is provided to the dependents of the victims, who had succumbed to the injuries.

Sultana said the health department has already issued strict instructions to all government and private hospitals to start the treatment of acid attack victims immediately.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)