Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 10: Minister for Social Welfare, Bali Bhagat has called for launching a state-wide campaign to educate the masses about the welfare schemes being executed by the Social welfare Department and its sister organizations.
He directed the concerned officers to chalk out a comprehensive calendar for organizing the awareness workshops at different levels so that maximum number of deserving beneficiaries can avail the benefit of the schemes.
While taking a detailed review of the overall functioning of the department at an officers’ meeting held here today, the Minister stressed the need for evolving innovative steps to ensure transparency in the functioning, adding that transparency and accountability is must to achieve the targets and objective of welfare schemes. He also called for strengthening the monitoring mechanism, directing the senior functionaries to personally undertake field visits to oversee the implementation of schemes on ground.
Minister of State for Social Welfare, Asiya Naqash was also present in the meeting.
Maintaining that the department is responsible for helping the distressed class of the society, the Minister said that every functionary must contribute in this noble cause and make every possible effort to provide timely succour to the needy.
In view of the changed scenario, Mr. Bhagat directed the Secretary Social Welfare to evolve e-governance and make optimum use of the information technology. He said that all the activities/schemes, including status of cases of beneficiaries under different schemes must be put on the website for the convenience of the people. This would further help in maintaining the transparency and accountability in the system, said the Minister.
As reformative measures, the Minister directed for prominently displaying the citizens’ charter in every office for the convenience of the masses. He directed for ensuring active involvement of local MLAs and members of PRIs in the implementation of various centrally sponsored schemes. He also directed for timely supply of nutrition to the Anganwari Centres. He also issued instructions for setting up of an independent Human Resource Management (HRM) cell for effective utilisation of manpower. He also directed for framing an Action Plan of activities for the next six years.
Ms Asiya also suggested several measures to further improve the functioning of the department. She stressed the need for re-visiting the existing rates of pensions, saying that the present structure of pension is quite inadequate and mockery to the poor and it must be enhanced handsomely. She also called for expeditious steps to clear the pendency of pension cases.
Earlier, the Secretary Social Welfare, Sanjeev Verma in a power point presentation gave detailed resume of the functioning of the department and status of implementation of various schemes.
Managing Director, J&K Women Development Corporation, Nahid Soz, Mission Director, ICDS, Dr. G.N. Ittoo, Director Social Welfare, Jammu, M.S. Choudhary, Managing Director, SC/ST, Y P Suman and other officers of the Department were also present in the meeting.
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