Welfare programs set to encompass larger Social spectrum in J&K
Govt targets to achieve 100% pension coverage of PwDs, other eligible lot
JAMMU, MARCH 03: The ambitious goal of achieving 100 percent pension coverage of Persons with Disability (PwD) and eligible persons above 70 year age indicates that government’s welfare agenda has encompassed a larger social spectrum in Jammu and Kashmir.
Past one year or so has added several new dimensions to the working of Social Welfare Department of the Union Territory. With the inception of several new and modification of existing welfare policies of the government, the department has undergone a transformation from just being a disbursement agency to a participatory organization in securing the socio – economic uplift of the poor people. The new goals are not just to add more masses in the realm of its welfare schemes, but to rescue people from the vicious clutches of poverty by ground-breaking moves towards achieving Social Justice and Empowerment in real sense of the term.
Women and Child Development, Social Justice and Empowerment, Social Security, Minority Development, Educational uplift of Scheduled Castes, Pahari Speaking People and Other Backward Classes, border dwellers and economically backward people form the core of government’s poverty rescue agenda.
These schemes are designed to directly address problems of malnutrition among children, promote women and child development, encourage education among the target groups through scholarships, hostel facilities, reimbursement of examination fees, educational loan and loan for establishment of income generating units etc.
Grant of reservation to Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs)/Residents of International Border (IB) Vide SRO-518 issued on September 2, 2019 are bound to benefit people across a larger income spectrum.
Social Security
Nevertheless, J&K is making every effort to reach out with a handholding to infirm, destitute and persons with special needs. The UT is providing pension Support to 6, 12,950 beneficiaries under Old, Widow & Physically Challenged Pension Schemes.
The Department, vide Govt. Order No. 04-JK(SWD) of 2019 dated 13-11-2019, has accorded sanction to 1,30,000(One lakh thirty thousand) new pension cases under National Social Assistance Programme(NSAP) & Integrated Social Security Scheme(ISSS)
In this regard, the Department is engaged in a massive exercise to identify poorest of the poor beneficiaries and process their cases on priority to ensure their coverage.
The department is also vigorously pursuing the goal of achieving 100% pension coverage across all 20 Districts for physically challenged persons and Old age persons above 70 years.
Women Empowerment
Women Development Corporation, working towards economic empowerment of women, disbursed Rs 208.15 crore amongst 17145 beneficiaries /SHG members under various loaning schemes for setting up of their own income generating units, benefitting over 85000 women beneficiaries directly and indirectly.
The Corporation trained 7242 beneficiaries through various training programmes like Jute accessories making, Artificial Flowers making, Soft Toys making, Calligraphy, Block Printing etc. Apart from loaning and training trainings, WDC has succeeded in market tie up through SMVDB by supplying Jute prashad bags. So far, the WDC has supplied 6,05,852 jute prashad bags against which it received Rs. 95.50 lakh and disbursed the amount amongst 1700 SHG members who were involved in making these bags.
Besides, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Katra, WDC has supplied, file folders to various departments like Education, Tourism, Red Cross, SMVDSB Katra, Animal Husbandary, CRC etc. The amount received from these departments was disbursed amongst the loanee beneficiaries, who prepared these folders and the process continuous.
WDC has conducted 42 Mega fairs and benefited 3,00,000 SHG members/ beneficiaries who are exhibiting their products in 40 stalls each in every exhibition. More over market support is also provided by participating in international exhibitions like IITF, Surajkund, Dilli Haat, Shilpa Utsav etc.
ICDS
To involve grassroots level public representatives, infuse financial discipline and plug pilferage, the procurement of Nutrition for ICDS centres (Vide Govt. Order No. 44-SW of 2019 Dated 29-01-2019) has been changed. As per the revised guidelines, the amount is to be drawn from Treasury and transferred in to Bank Account of Halqa Panchayats for purchase of Nutrition items(except for Rice & Wheat which shall continue to be procured from Food Corporation of India(FCI) for Anganwadi Centres. The said decentralized Policy for procurement of Supplementary Nutrition was rolled out in April 2019. The mode of Disbursement of Honorarium to Aganwadi Workers/Helpers have been changed and the amount is to be drawn in advance from the treasury and transferred in to Bank Account of Gram Panchayats for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in to the Bank accounts of Aganwadi Workers/Aganwadi Helpers.
At present the Department, under ICDS, covers more than nine lakh beneficiaries viz, children, pregnant & lactating mothers, out of school adolescent girls in the age group of 11-14 years.
ICDS Beneficiaries enrolled in AWCs across J&K are 905170, including Children 6 months-3 Years 443985; Children 3-6 years 295990; Pregnant ladies 88797; Lactating Mothers 59198 and Adolescent Girls (11-14 years Out of school) 17200
The ICDS Department’s Physical and Financial Achievements this financial year till October, 2019 is remarkable.
Against allocation of Rs 35.36 crore for supplementary nutrition during 2019-20, the department has utilized Rs 14.04 crore( till Oct, 2019) benefiting 708381 children, pregnant & lactating mothers against the indicative target of 990340.
The department hosted one month job training to 372 anganwadi workers against indicative target of 500, while 130 CDPO were also trained under various Schemes.
Under the ambitious Poshan Abhiyaan, against Rs 60.66 Crore, the department spent Rs 14.29 crore during this period on conducting 138298 CBE’S at AWC Level against the target of 682000 and 57164 VHSND’S at village/Panchayat level against target of 80000, besides providing 32474 smart phones and 29599 Growth monitoring devices to Angawadi workers.
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)- a maternity benefit program recorded expenditure of Rs 40.57 crore against the allocation of Rs 44.55 crore by providing incentives to 118960 beneficiaries since the inception of the Scheme, against target of 180000.
Around 13254 Adolescent Girls, under the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) were provided Counselling on Nutrition & Health Education against target of 17276 and 1338 others were imparted guidance on Accessing public services against target of 17276, while 395420 Aadhaar enrolments of children were done by AWWs against the target of 1150000.
Another major achievement of department is witnessed in the implementation of Integrated Child protection Scheme.
Around 703 Institutions housing 29125 homeless children have been mapped across the UT viz 151 Govt. Run Homes (48 Social Welfare Department, 19 Gujjar and Bakerwal Hostels, 09 Pahari Hostels 61 KBGVs and 14 JNVs); 87 NGO Run Homes; 465 Institutions including Religious Institutions like Dar-Ul-Ulooms, Ashrams and Monasteries.
In the run up to provide a safe and secure living to children in distress, 4092 Cases were registered with Child Welfare Committees, of which 2303 were disposed of, while 1580 Children were placed in fit facility and 788 Children were restored to parents
