Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 17: Exhorting upon the officers to ensure a more transparent and accountable dispensation to people of the state, Minister for Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo today said that it is a matter of great satisfaction that during the past five years the departmental programmes have covered a notable chunk of population in a well knit strategy under the guidance of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.
The Minister said this while addressing a gathering of beneficiaries of SWD schemes, Anganwari workers and officers of the department during a cheque distribution cum mega awareness camp.
The Minister said that such awareness camps are a big source of information for the people about the schemes of the department. She asked the officers to further intensify such programmes so that a record number of beneficiaries are covered.
Elaborating the role of Anganwari workers in raising awareness about the departmental programmes, the Minister said that they can disseminate the information about the SWD schemes even better than the media as they have the access to each and every part of the State.
The Minister exhorted upon the officers to be pro-active towards people’s needs and grievances ensuring them an enhanced and transparent deliverance of services. She asked them to make sure that all the offices of the department especially in hilly and far off parts of the state are equipped with adequate staff and infrastructural edifice so that people may not suffer for lack of the same.
The Minister instructed the Director Social Welfare, M.S. Chowdhary to keep a strict monitoring on working of the officers and field staff so that the services are further improved.
Sakina also emphasized the officers to conduct frequent field inspections which are pre-requisite for effective implementation of departmental programmes.
Later, the Minister distributed 138 cheques worth Rs. 41, 40,000 under State Marriage Assistance, 129 cheques worth Rs.12, 90,000 under National Family Benefit Scheme, tricycles and post-matric scholarships among the beneficiaries.
The students of ICDS projects presented a cultural bonanza based on certain social issues like female foeticide, education and other topics of social significance.
Among others present were Deputy Directors Social Welfare Department, Trishla Kundal and Ankur Gupta, District Social Welfare Officers, CDPOs, Anganwari workers and beneficiaries.