Jammu: The Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta Monday chaired a meeting to review the functioning of the Social Welfare Departments and achievements under various schemes.
Commissioner/ Secretary, Labour & Employment Department, Administrative Secretary, Social Welfare Department, along with Mission Director, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), Mission Director, Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), and concerned HoDs participated in the meeting.
It was informed that the Department has conducted a comprehensive verification drive and found the orphans of COVID victims (693) to be safe. The Chief Secretary directed the Department to get all eligible children registered for assistance from the Central Government.
It was further informed that the ICPS has so far registered 102 Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and is running a helpline number 1098 to ensure necessary assistance to minor children who are in need of care and protection.
The Chief Secretary directed the Department to ensure that all residential homes for minor children obtain required registrations before 31st December 2021 after which no such home will be allowed to function without complying with the Government norms and guidelines. Further, the Department was asked to undertake an extensive IEC campaign to popularize the child helpline 1098 to facilitate reporting of cases of child neglect and cases of children in need of assistance.
The Department was also asked to evaluate the number of children in street situations and upload the survey details on the Bal Swaraj portal within 1 week; to be subsequently provided with assistance as per directions from the Supreme Court of India.
Under Poshan Abhiyaan being run by the ICDS, it was informed that growth monitoring devices have been given to all the Anganwari Centres and growth parameters of targeted children are being monitored through the Poshan Tracker portal on a real-time basis.
The Chief Secretary directed the Department to operationalize all non-functional Anganwadi Centres, besides opening new Centres, as per the sanction given by the Government of India, within one month. The Department was also asked to ensure that all Anganwadis have functional toilets, water connections, and Poshan Vatikas. Moreover, the Department shall focus on providing Government accommodation to at least 4,300 Centres in the next financial year through convergence with MGNREGA, District CAPEX, and PM Adarsh Gram Yojana in consultation with the PRIs and develop these centres as hub of various activities.
The Chief Secretary emphasized making important Government buildings accessible to the differently-abled persons and senior citizens under the Sugmya Bharat Abhiyan by constructing ramps, hand grills, and lifts in a time-bound manner.
Dr. Mehta entrusted the Labour & Employment Department to encourage the private establishments with more than 50 workers with a special focus on brick kilns; to open up crèche facilities and provide proper facilities for drinking water and sanitation to the workers and employees.
Further, the Chief Secretary directed the Department to open at least one each of Child Care Institute, Nari Niketen, and Old Age Home at each district for providing required assistance to the targeted population. The Department was asked to saturate all individual beneficiary schemes including pension, scholarships, and PM Matru Vandana Yojana.
The Chief Secretary also reviewed the preparatory works on the rollout of the Prevention of Child Rights Act, 1955; SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989; and State Action Plan for Senior Citizens, which are being implemented for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir.
