Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 16: Former Minister, Priya Sethi has complimented the Social Welfare Department (SWD) for taking various initiatives in providing relief to people during lockdown period declared to fight the COVID- 19.
Priya in a statement issued here, today said that when entire world is in the strong grip of the pandemic that has affected over one million of lives around the globe in the past few months and in India too we have lost loved ones.
Priya said that staff of almost all departments is doing service of frontline warriors in combating COVID-19 which included doctors, para medicos, security forces, JK Police, PDD and PHE work-force, sanitation workers, milk, fruit and vegetable vendors, scribes, Social Welfare Department and others in one way or the other.
Priya said that in UT of J&K, despite lockdown and related limitations, the Social Welfare Department too is delivering effectively and providing benefits of all welfare activities and measures to the people.
She said as per reports during this lockdown period the department has been able to reach out to approximately 20 lakh persons in the UT with welfare measures either in cash or in kind or thorough counselling or awareness programmes and visits.
She added that from reports that App, 734798 beneficiaries (Old Age, Women in Distress, Physically Challenged Persons) have been provided pensionary benefits under Integrated Social Security Scheme (ISSS) @ Rs 1000/person/month, approximately. About 150457 beneficiaries have been covered under Old Age Pension, Widow Pension and Disability Pension under National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) @ Rs. 1000 /person/month and approx 145567 (excluding Ladakh) NSAP beneficiaries are also being provided Rs. 500/- ex-gratia (Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana Package).
She added that not only this, the students have been awarded Pre-Post and Merit-cum-Means Scholarship and other scholarships through DBT registering a record increase of 250% over previous financial year.
Former Minister added that lakhs of people are benefited by Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) by the Department.