Jammu, Jan 24: Minister for Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo today asked the non-government organization to expand the ambit of their activities in rural and remote areas of J&K rather than focusing on urban centres.
 Speaking to the representatives of NGOs at a meeting to review the functioning and grant-in-aid position of organizations operating in Jammu, she said the NGOs had an important role in alleviating the sufferings of the people living below poverty line, schedule caste and schedule tribe categories. She said “it is our collective responsibility to seek the redressal of the problems of the weaker sections of our society, particularly living in rural for off areas of the State”.
 Sakina said though the Government had initiated several measures to improve the socio-economic condition of needy, yet NGOs had a major role to emancipate them from economic dependence.
 She asked NGOs to hold awareness camps in rural and far off areas to sensitize the people about the welfare schemes being run by the government in the State. Sakina said lack of knowledge was the major impediment in mitigating the sufferings of the targeted population.
 She asked NGOs, running Old Age Homes, to ease norms for adoption of old aged persons approaching them.
 The Minister said the Government would encourage all those NGOs who wholeheartedly work for bona fide purposes, adding the role of certain fake NGOs had damaged the image genuine NGOs.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 IST