PUC for clearing widow pension cases

            SRINAGAR, JULY 25: A meeting of the Committee on Public Undertakings (PUC) of Legislative Assembly was held here today under the Chairmanship of legislator Satpaul Sharma to review the functioning of Social Welfare Department.

            Threadbare discussions were held on the Action Taken Report (ATR) submitted by the Department on CAGs Audit para reports pertaining to the SC, ST, OBC and Women Development Corporations.

            Legislators G M Saroori, Abdul Majeed Larmi, Mohammad Khalil Bandh, Rajesh Gupta, Rajeev Sharma and Vikram Randhawa attended the meeting and gave their suggestions to make the functioning of the Department more viable.

            The Committee directed the concerned authorities to conduct a fresh survey to identify the all left out families under the Marriage Assistance Scheme under NFBSS schemes.

            The Committee also directed the concerned authorities to aware the people about the various schemes launched by the State and Central Government for the welfare of the people of the State.

            During the meeting, the Committee Members directed the Secretary, Social Welfare Department to take necessary steps to provide widow pensions and other financial schemes to the poor people so that they can get relief in this regard. It was also directed to clear all pending widow pension cases.

            The meeting also discussed issues regarding the functioning of the Corporations under the Department including deployment of adequate staff, providing timely nutrition to all Anganwadi Centre under ICDS; simplifying the procedure of sanctioning of loans to beneficiaries, submitting proposal of increasing annual budget of the Department.

Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Sajad Ahmed Khan, Managing Director, SC, ST and OBC, R. K. Pandita and Managing Director, Women Development Corporation Naheed Soz briefed the Committee about the action taken by the Department on CAG Audit para report besides functioning of the Corporations.

            Accountant General, CAG, H. Abbas briefed the Committee about the observations of the CAGs and action taken report of the Corporations and gave their suggestions regarding the CAGs Audit Paras.

           Among others, Secretary, Legislative Assembly M R Singh, besides senior officers of SWD, WDC and SC, ST and OBC and Assembly Secretariat attended the meeting.