SRINAGAR: On Monday, Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta reviewed the beneficiary-oriented schemes implemented by the Social Welfare Department. He emphasised the need for officers to work in a mission mode and conduct camps at the village level to register eligible beneficiaries for old age, widow, and disability pensions.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary of the Social Welfare Department, Director of Social Welfare from Kashmir and Jammu, District Social Welfare Officers (DSWOs), and other concerned departmental officers.
During the meeting, Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta reiterated the administration’s commitment to the welfare of the poor and emphasised the priority given to beneficiary-oriented schemes. He stressed the importance of reaching out to those in need, highlighting that this is the primary objective of the Department.
Dr Mehta mentioned that he had received demands for pension issuance during his interactions with the people. He stated that it is the right of eligible elderly individuals to claim their pensions, and the administration is duty-bound to provide them promptly.
He directed the officers to collaborate with the Revenue Department and complete the verification of all pending cases within one week. He asked them to create a timetable for these camps and widely publicize it for the information of all concerned. He urged that no eligible person should be left out, and those with verified cases should be provided with pensions without delay.
He set a target to settle the pension cases of at least 100,000 beneficiaries within the next two weeks and clear all pending cases by the end of the month. He also instructed them to work on releasing accumulated arrears in a phased manner.
Dr Mehta emphasised the distribution of benefits to deserving individuals only. He called for the issuance of PHH ration cards to the most deserving population as per the established criteria, ensuring there are no complaints about the exclusion of eligible beneficiaries. He stressed that merit should be the sole criterion for categorising people in these hierarchies.
Commissioner Secretary of Social Welfare, Sheetal Nanda, informed the meeting that DSWOs/TSWOs have been sensitised not to allow any pending cases beyond two working days. She added that verifications pending due to reports from revenue officials would also be expedited in a mission mode.
She reiterated that camps, as directed by the chair, would be organised according to the schedule to be provided, and cases would be settled on merit within the set timelines discussed during the meeting. (KNO)
