Secretary Social Welfare, Dr Farooq Ahmad Lone today reviewed the progress on key infrastructure projects and the new initiatives taken by the department this year in Kashmir division.
Dr Lone said that among the new initiatives kick-started bythe Social Welfare Department during the current fiscal is the Valley’s firstOld Age Home which is being established at Pandach. He said the land hasalready been identified by Dy Commissioner Ganderbal for this maiden project tobe executed by the Police Housing Corporation. He said Rs 50 lakh have beenprovided for the project during current financial year.
The Secretary Social Welfare said that Markaz-e-FalahiItfaalat Kangan is being upgraded with construction of a new block and fencing of thewhole complex. He said work on fencing is already in progress and theconstruction work on new block has been mobilised by the Police HousingCorporation involving a cost of Rs 1 crore for which administrative approvalhas already been accorded.
Dr Lone said in a first Social Welfare Department hasstarted home for mentally ill and recovered patients who have been abandoned bytheir families or are homeless. He said the home has already startedfunctioning from a rented building in Srinagar.He saidas reported by DistrictSocial Welfare Officer Ganderbal, land has been identified by DeputyCommissioner Ganderbal in the vicinity of District Hospital Ganderbal for thepurpose.
“To start construction work on the project Rs 25 lakh havebeen released during current financial year,” he said and added that DirectorGeneral Social Welfare and District Social Welfare Officer Ganderbal have beenasked to follow up with concerned departments so that the project takes off atthe earliest.
Dr Lone said a Composite Old Age Home is being constructedin district Anantnag for which Rs 50 lakh have been released during the currentfiscal. He said the land for the project has been identified by DC Anantnag atNanil, Akoora as reported by DSWO Anantnag and project is being executedthrough JKPCC. Director General Social Welfare and District Social WelfareOfficer Anantnag will follow up with concerned departments and agencies forspeedy execution of the project, he said.
Secretary Social Welfare asked the concerned officers toensure early completion of work on Drug De-addiction centers at Tral and Kulgamwhich are at final stages of completion. Concerned Deputy Commissioners havebeen requested to ensure that these buildings are not put to any other use inview of their importance for the target group
Director General Social Welfare and concerned DistrictSocial Welfare Officers were directed to ensure that all required facilitiesare made available to the inmates of all the Child Care institutions for whichsufficient funds have been made available during the current financial year inthe revenue budget.
Secretary Social Welfare said the government is committed tothe welfare of weaker sections of society and funding will not be a constraintprovided the officers work with dedication and missionary zeal to expedite keyprojects.
He expressed satisfaction about sanctioning of 40000 newpension cases and additional cases against weeded out ones. He directed forcompletion of Aadhar seeding of beneficiaries by ending March 2019 so thattransparency is ensured and waiting list reduced.