Tuesday, 14 February 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Social Welfare minister Chandan Ram Das has said that the Minorities Welfare department has constituted a three-member committee to investigate all the Madarsas operational in the State. The committee would submit its report within a month. The minister had a review meeting with the officers of the Social Welfare and Minorities Welfare department at his office in Vidhan Sabha on Monday. In the meeting the minister discussed a plan to make the Madarsas high tech. Later talking with the media persons, Das said that there are 419 Madarsas in the State out of which government aid is given to 192 Madarsas. He said that the focus of the department is on modernisation of the Madarsas receiving government aid.
Das said that the department has received 80,000 new applications under the old age pension and soon the first instalment of their pension would be released soon. The increase in the number of the beneficiaries occurred after the announcement of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami that the old age pension would be given to both husband and wife in a family. Earlier only one person in a couple- either husband or wife- was eligible to receive the old age pension.
The minister said that the State government has increased the financial assistance given to physically impaired (Divyangjan) for artificial organs from Rs 3,500 to Rs 7,000. He said that the process to increase the award money given to Divyangjans from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 is underway. The minister said that 1,28,947 Divyangjans have been earmarked in the State and they would be provided with unique ID cards. He informed that special camps are being organised by the department for old age pensions, Divyangjans, registration for scholarship and loans from finance corporation in all the 13 districts of the State. Das said that artificial limbs and hearing and visual aids are being distributed to the Divyangjans under the Vayoshri scheme. The minister informed that apart from the pension provided to the Divyangjans, a provision of four per cent reservation in government jobs is made for them.
The minister claimed that the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana has been implemented in 272 villages of the State. On a stern note, the minister directed the officers to recover the due Rs 22 crore of the finance corporation under a one time settlement scheme. He said that seven coaching centres have been set up for providing coaching for competitive examinations to the youths of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. This would help in employment generation. The minister directed that the computer, assistant and a separate room should be provided to the assistant social welfare officers.
The principal secretary L Fennai and other officers of the department were present on the occasion.
