SRINAGAR: During a high-level meeting, Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Itoo assessed the achievements of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) for the year 2024–25 and deliberated on key strategies for actionable planning in 2025–26.
The review meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary SWD Sanjeev Verma, Directors of Social Welfare for Jammu and Kashmir, Mission Directors of POSHAN, Vatsalya/Shakti, WDC, and SC/ST Corporation, as well as heads of various advisory boards and councils.
Addressing the officers, the Minister underscored the need for a ‘citizen-first’ approach in public service delivery. She urged for intensified community involvement to strengthen grassroots implementation and foster public ownership of welfare schemes.
“To ensure effective implementation, departmental collaboration must be enhanced and the system must be streamlined to avoid delays. Our approach must reflect compassion and efficiency,” she said, directing that beneficiaries be facilitated at every stage without bureaucratic hurdles.
The Minister also stressed the importance of establishing strong monitoring mechanisms to assess the progress and impact of schemes, and to identify implementation challenges. She encouraged the use of data-driven decision-making and innovative solutions to reach the most vulnerable sections of society.
While reviewing schemes such as the Integrated Social Security Scheme (ISSS), National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), Ladli Beti, and PMMVY, Sakeena called for improved coordination among departments, regular audits, and greater reliance on technology to enhance transparency and accountability.
She further directed that monthly grievance redressal camps be organised by field offices to gather direct feedback from beneficiaries. Additionally, she emphasised the importance of public awareness campaigns to ensure citizens are well informed of their entitlements.
The meeting concluded with departmental heads presenting their annual progress reports and roadmaps for the upcoming financial year through PowerPoint presentations.
