Minister of Health and Medical Education, Minister of Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena IToo today urged the heads of various fields of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) to distribute public services and adopt a ‘civil-first’ approach to distribute public services and successful implementation of welfare schemes on land.
The minister made this comment while presiding over a meeting to assess the impact and progress on the implementation of various schemes run by SWD in Jammu and Kashmir.
Commissioner Secretary SWD, Sanjeev Verma; Director Social Welfare Jammu/Kashmir, Mission Director of Pokhan, Vatsalya/Shakti, WDC and SC/ST Corporation, SC, OBC and advisory boards of people speaking, Secretary, Executive Director Rehabilitation Council and other officials participated in the meeting.
During the meeting, the minister assessed the achievements of the department for the year 2024-25 and also considered various aspects to strategic the actionable schemes for 2025-26.
Addressing the officials at the meeting, Sakeena insisted on promoting more cooperation between departments and agencies to ensure a harmonious approach for effective implementation of social welfare schemes. He called for maximizing community participation in plan implementation to ensure maximum ownership and participation of the general public.
The minister strengthened the procedures involved in the scheme implementation, which would eventually improve service distribution to the public. He instructed the officials that the beneficiaries should be made convenient at all levels and avoid unnatural delays. “The beneficiaries should not face avoidable delays or procedural obstacles. Our system must reflect a sense of compassion and efficiency that these welfare schemes have been established”, Sakna said.
Reviewing the on-ground effects of these schemes, Seekena asked the authorities to establish a strong monitoring mechanism to track the progress and effectiveness of these schemes, in addition to identifying challenges during the implementation process. It also called for employing innovative approaches and data-operated decisions during the plan implementation for the upliftment of the weakening sections of the society.
Reviewing the Integrated Social Security Scheme (ISS), National Social Assistance Program (NSAP), pension schemes for disabled citizens and persons with disabilities, and Ladli Beti and PMMVY schemes for the welfare of girl and pregnant women, the minister used technology to regular audit, better inter-convention coordination, and their implementation and accounting.
The minister directed the officials to organize monthly grievance redressal camps directly from the beneficiaries to the monthly grievance redressal camps through their field offices and to ensure timely solutions to the issues. He underlined the importance of public awareness campaigns so that eligible citizens would be fully informed about their rights.
During the meeting, each departmental head presented his performance report through powerpoint presentations, which gives details of progress and future roadmaps.
