SMAS assistance being provided online: Sajad Lone

 JAMMU, JANUARY 16 – Minister for Social Welfare, ARI & Trainings and Science & Technology Sajad Gani Lone informed the House that the cash assistance under State Marriage Assistance Scheme (SMAS) is being credited directly into the individual bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

Replying to a question of Saif-ud-Din Bhat, the Minister informed that the beneficiaries are required to apply at the concerned District Social Welfare Office (DSWO) along with the required documents to take benefit of the scheme.

 Giving details, he informed that the DSWO submits the cases to the District Level Sanctioning Committee and it clears the cases in the light of eligibility criteria. He said the list is finally submitted to Administrative Department. HGe however said that the government has asked the District Level Sanctioning Committee/Administrative Department to settle the cases in a time bound manner as per the availability of funds, he added.

          He further informed that there are more than two lakh old age, handicap and widow pension cases pending in the state including 1,53,699 under Integrated Social Security Scheme and 1,13,991 under National Social Assistance Programme.

          Related to the issue of rising pendency in the number of cases, the Minister said that the state receives a fixed amount from Centre as the scheme is not demand driven and new cases are included only after vacancy arises in the existing numbers.