Akshay Azad
Jammu, Aug 23: The casualness on part of the state coalition government can be gauged from its carelessness to secure grants from the Centre under various schemes. According to sources, the Omar government has failed to submit a proposal to Union Ministry of Women and Child Development for release of grants under Centrally Sponsored Integrated Child Protection Scheme.
Quoting recent estimates, sources said Jammu and Kashmir has nearly 2,00000 orphans, more than 50,000 widows, more than 8,000 half widows, thousands of destitute, old people, who don't have any resources, any means of livelihood.
"The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, namely, Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) for rehabilitation and reintegration of children in need of care and protection, including orphans", sources said, adding that scheme was also implemented in Jammu and Kashmir.
"According to pre-condition of scheme, Jammu and Kashmir government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Women and Child Development on September 19, 2013 for implementation of ICPS in the state. However, so far, no proposal for release of grants under ICPS has been received from the Government of Jammu & Kashmir by Government of India", sources in Jammu and Kashmir Social Welfare Department said.
An official in Social Welfare Department while criticizing the authorities said that majority of officers were least bothered about the orphans. "Their works are mainly linked to their vested interests and orphans are no priority to them. That is the reason that they are not forwarding the proposal of orphans to the Centre, which is very unfortunate", he alleged.
Apart from Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has also been providing assistance to Jammu & Kashmir Rehabilitation Council in the form of Corpus/Grants. "In the last three years, Union government has so far released, Rs. 162.01 Lakhs to 1,826 orphans, 173.11 Lakhs in 2012-13 to 1,921 orphans and 129.12 lakhs in 2013-14 for 1,806 orphans", the official said. |
