Several lakh ghost children names detected and deleted from Assam Social Welfare beneficiary list
Guwahati, May 11 (IBNS): Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s order of streamlining the functioning of Social Welfare Department and deletion of the names of ‘ghost children’ bore fruits as the department after head counts pruned downed the number of beneficiaries to 35 lakh thus giving a relief to the state exchequer to the tune of Rs 150 crore every year.
It may be noted that taking a strong note on the allegation of fraudulently and entering ghost names and siphoning off money from the Anganwadi Centres in the state, Sonowal ordered an inquiry and as a result the names of pregnant mothers and lactating children and children from six month to six years were detected and deleted.
These ‘ghost names’ took a huge toll on the state exchequer which is Rs 150 crore every year.
This startling revelation has come to light during a high level meeting of the Social Welfare Department held in chief minister’s conference room in Janata Bhawan on Friday.
During the meeting Sonowal asked Principal Secretary Welfare Department Jishnu Baruah to fine-tune the functioning of the department including the Anganwadi Centres and provide nutrition to women and children who are predominantly from the underprivileged section of the society.
Sonowal also asked the Principal Secretary Baruah to expeditiously complete the survey of the specially abled people in the state so that the State government’s decision of providing financial assistance of Rs 12,000 each to every divyangjan at the rate of Rs 1000 every month can given.
He also asked the Director Social Welfare Department S. S. Meenakshi Sundaram to set up skill development centres for the specially abled people for their capacity building.
The Assam CM also asked him that state of the art centre of Skill Development be set up in Guwahati for the devyangs.
Sonowal reviewed Poshan Abhiyan and said that ground work should completed soon for its implementation in 24 districts initially which is to be expanded later in all the 33 districts of the state.
He asked the director to make the Women’s helpline ‘181’ a 24X7 business.
The director replied that women’s helpline would be made functional on 24X7 from May 31 onwards.
Sonowal also took stock of Integrated Child Development Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Deen Dayal Divyanjan Sahajya Achoni, Integrated Child Protection Scheme.
Sonowal took note of the existing vacancies in the Social Welfare Department more particularly the recruitment process for divyangjans and asked the Principal Secretary and Director to fill up the vacancies.
Sonowal also advocated for drastic actions to help the Social Welfare Department to live upto its objectives it was created.
Moreover, the Assam CM asked the Principal Secretary to use the budgetary allotment of Rs 400 lakh given for the first time to put a spanner on child marriage, child trafficking and child labour.
He also asked him to expeditiously bifurcate the Social Welfare Department and start the functioning of both the directorates.
Social Welfare Minister Pramila Rani Brahma, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sanjay Lohiya and other senior officers of the department were present at the meeting.
(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
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