![Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Sheetal Nanda inaugurating PALAASH ‘Children Home’ at Kathua. Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Sheetal Nanda inaugurating PALAASH ‘Children Home’ at Kathua.](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/page5-4-8.jpg)
Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Mar 13: Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Sheetal Nanda, today inaugurated remodeled building of PALAASH ‘Children Home’ for Boys here.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by Director General, SWD, Vivek Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Kathua Rahul Pandey, Mission Director, Vatsalya/ Shakti, Harvinder Kour, DC State Taxes Ranjeet Singh, PO ICDS and other concerned officials.
While dedicating the revamped building of Bal Ashram which has been renamed as PALAASH, Commissioner Secretary said that the idea of remodelling these assets is to reflect the idea of new beginnings and growth, which is what Palaash stands for.
Sheetal Nanda further said, “Palaash is a place where children from vulnerable sections of society can come and receive care, education and protection. It is a space where they can find hope and build a brighter future for themselves. The renaming of Bal Ashram as Palaash is a symbolic step towards this goal.”
While throwing light on the upcoming initiative of the Social Welfare Department, Commissioner Secretary disclosed that every district across the UT of JK shall have dedicated Care Centres for Boys and Girls separately.
Meanwhile, Sheetal Nanda chaired a meeting to review the functioning of social welfare units of Kathua and Samba Districts.
The meeting was attended by DC Kathua, Rahul Pandey, ADDC Kathua Ankur Mahajan, DG Social Welfare Vivek Sharma, Mission Director Vatsalya Harvinder Kour, DPO Poshan Kathua/Samba, CEO, CMO Kathua and senior officials from the Social Welfare Department, including Deputy Directors, and Assistant Directors.
During the meeting, Sheetal Nanda reviewed the progress of ongoing social welfare schemes and initiatives being implemented in Kathua and Samba districts. She emphasized the need for effective implementation of these schemes to ensure that the benefits reach the targeted beneficiaries. She also stressed the importance of identifying and addressing any gaps or shortcomings in the implementation process.
The Commissioner Secretary also took note of the issues faced by the Social Welfare Department in twin districts, including issuance of Category Certificates, Scholarships for SC/STs, District wise re-modeling of CIIS and Provision of Staff therein, Status of Sponsorship cases, Details of cases for adoption received by DC Offices and many others.
The Commissioner /Secretary directed the officials to address these issues on priority to ensure smooth functioning of the department and timely delivery of services to the beneficiaries.