Shadow Correspondent
KATHUA, JULY 27:
District Social Welfare Department Kathua has disbursed Rs 1.29 crore among 12976 beneficiaries under the widow, old age and specially abled persons’ pension scheme during the Lockdown.
Under the old age category, persons above 70 year of age were given preference, while in case of specially abled persons preference was given to the persons with higher disability.
The aid was credited directly in their accounts to provide them respite from the hardship during the lockdown. The department, under emergency measure, also facilitated Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to 6470 beneficiaries instead of EBT for the first time. Meanwhile, the department processed cases of 186 poor girls facing constraints in solemnizing their marriages amid the Lockdown.
The department provides financial assistance of Rs 25000 and 5gm gold value amounting total help of approximately Rs 40000 to such girls. In the last financial year, the department extended handholding to 661 such girls.
The eligible poor students- most hit by the lockdown, were provided Pre-Matric (SC, OBC, PHC, sweeper), Post Matric Scholarships, Minority Scholarship (Pre- Matric, Post- Matric/Merit cum means based scholarship.
Under Pre-Matric category 13955 students were covered, while under Post-Matric category, 1018 applications were verified at district level and send to higher authorities for the disbursement of the scholarship directly into their accounts
Likewise, 166 applications of minority community students were also processed during the time. The department also provided 23 Motorized Tricycles to especially abled persons of the district.
Numerous Cutting and Tailoring Centres were established under Back to Village, SC to SCAP, BADP schemes and made operational to make youth of these communities self reliant.
Under BADP scheme, 3 such centres were established in border blocks of Hiranagar, Marheen and Nagri, where 75 trainees have been enrolled. Two Centres were established in hilly areas of Bani tehsil viz Dhaggar and Lowang South where 50 trainees are undergoing the training in cutting and tailoring.
Similarly, 136 trainees, identified under SC to SCAP scheme, were given training in 6 cutting and tailoring centres established in areas having SC population.
A Senior Citizen day care centre was established at district headquarter on the directions of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir being managed by the senior citizens themselves under the overall supervision of Social Welfare Department.
A survey was conducted by the field functionaries of ICDS department to enlist poor eligible girls under State Marriage Assistance Scheme (SMAS and the list was submitted to Director General for necessary administrative approval.
Under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, the department distributed 1200 Carrier Guidance Magazines among different institutions to provide guidance to the girls about opportunities and scope of different professional trainings and courses.
To strengthen the Swatch Bharat Mission and Livelihood Mission, the department engaged women folk for making environmental friendly cloth bags in its Cutting and Tailoring Centres to discourage the use of polythene bags besides offering livelihood opportunities by way of making Self Help Groups to promote the cause of SBM.
During the lockdown, around 90 children of JK UT were evacuated from different States/ Union territories under the aegis of District Child Protection Unit Kathua on receiving the distress calls from the families of children stuck outside the Jammu and Kashmir during the lockdown.
The District Social Welfare Officer Kathua Abdul Raheem along with the team coordinated with counterpart agencies of other States/UT’s for safe rescue of such children who were stuck away from their homes and loved ones.
The Nari Niketan of Social Welfare Department is also contributing by making over 2000 face masks for frontline covid warriors of district administration. Prosthetic aid in the shape of wheel chairs, crutches and hearing aids were provided, to 18 beneficiaries.
Two children of Cross Border Firing/ Militancy affected families were provided monthly aid of Rs 1250 upto 10th class and Rs 1500 upto 12th class and Rs 1750 for graduation till the age of 25 years under National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH) of Home Ministry of India initiative.
The State Rehabilitation Council is also extending financial aid to identified 9 members of affected families (5 widows, 1 old age and 3 handicapped) of the district through Social Welfare Department. As many as 57 students who are in need of care and protection were given scholarship under Integrated Child Protection Scheme of Social Welfare Department.
The district has also witnessed establishment of maiden Mahila Shakti Kendra by the Social Welfare Department in the premises of the DC Office complex Kathua to provide facility of single window helpline to women of the district.
