Srinagar, Mar 4: Secretary Social Welfare, Farooq Ahmad Lone today reviewed the progress on key infrastructure projects and the new initiatives taken by the department this year in Kashmir division.
Lone said that among the new initiatives kick-started by the Social Welfare Department during the current fiscal is the Valley’s first Old Age Home which is being established at Pandach. He saidthe land has already been identified by Dy Commissioner Ganderbal for this maiden project to be executed by the Police Housing Corporation. He said Rs 50 lakh have been provided for the project during current financial year.
The Secretary Social Welfare said that Markaz-e-FalahiItfaal at Kangan is being upgraded with construction of a new block and fencing of the whole complex. He said work on fencing is already in progress and the construction work on new block has been mobilised by the Police Housing Corporation involving a cost of Rs 1 crore for which administrative approval has already been accorded
Dr Lone said in a first Social Welfare Department has started home for mentally ill and recovered patients who have been abandoned by their families or are homeless. He said the home has already started functioning from a rented building in Srinagar.He saidas reported by District Social Welfare Officer Ganderbal, land has been identified by Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal in the vicinity of District Hospital Ganderbal for the purpose.
“To start construction work on the project Rs 25 lakh have been released during current financial year,” he said and added that Director General Social Welfare and District Social Welfare Officer Ganderbal have been asked to follow up with concerned departments so that the project takes off at the earliest.
Dr Lone said a Composite Old Age Home is being constructed in district Anantnag for which Rs 50 lakh have been released during the current fiscal. He said the land for the project has been identified by DC Anantnag at Nanil, Akoora as reported by DSWO Anantnag and project is being executed through JKPCC. Director General Social Welfare and District Social Welfare Officer Anantnag will follow up with concerned departments and agencies for speedy execution of the project, he said.
Secretary Social Welfare asked the concerned officers to ensure early completion of work on Drug De-addiction centers at Tral and Kulgam which are at final stages of completion. Concerned Deputy Commissioners have been requested to ensure that these buildings are not put to any other use in view of their importance for the target group
Director General Social Welfare and concerned District Social Welfare Officers were directed to ensure that all required facilities are made available to the inmates of all the Child Care institutions for which sufficient funds have been made available during the current financial year in the revenue budget.
Secretary Social Welfare said the government is committed to the welfare of weaker sections of society and funding will not be a constraint provided the officers work with dedication and missionary zeal to expedite key projects.
He expressed satisfaction about sanctioning of 40000 new pension cases and additional cases against weeded out ones.He directed for completion of Aadhar seeding of beneficiaries by ending March 2019 so that transparency is ensured and waiting list reduced.
