| International Women’s Day haunts JK Babus the most | | Welfare schemes for women dusted for years, authorities unrepentant | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 9: As International Women’s day was being celebrated across amid pomp & show, the questions pertaining to the welfare schemes meant for women and their shelving in Jammu and Kashmir are haunting the Babus once again.
One such scheme is called Ladli Bedti that was aimed at empowering women in Jammu and Kashmir. However, at present on the ground, the Babu Raj has killed the scheme to the core. The scheme was launched in the state on October 28, 2015. Under the scheme, it was stated at the time of its launch that the state government will contribute Rs 1,000 per month towards the birth of every girl child born after April 1, 2015, for the next 14 years. Upon reaching the age of 21, the girl child would receive a sum of Rs 6.5 lakh.
The scheme is to be implemented on a pilot basis in six districts of the State including Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Anantnag, Budgam, and Pulwama.
However, as per the reports, the cases related to it were only piling up and gathering dust at the government officers with the least beneficiaries making it to the list.
As per the official data, there were as many as 5300 cases related to the scheme which had been kept in limbo without any reason and no approval had been accorded to these files. The cases were waiting for verification by the concerned Child Development Project Officers (CDPO) in the four districts of the valley where the scheme was launched on pilot basis.
Official documents reveal that an estimated amount of Rs 250 lakhs were allocated out of the state exchequer for the implementation of the scheme in all identified districts of Jammu and Kashmir. As per the scheme guidelines, upon reaching 21 years, the girl would receive a sum of Rs 6.5 lakh, transferred directly to her bank accounts. In Jammu, the scheme is implemented in three districts – Jammu, Kathua, and Samba.
As per the reports, such is the dilatory mode of functioning in the concerned offices related to the scheme that the people have stooped applying for any financial grant under the program. “The officers want us to move from pillar to post for one document or the other. They sometimes want us the income certificate and then object to its poor print. And finally, when all the documentation gets completed, applicants are asked to wait and no specific time frame is given about when the case would get approved by the concerned department. This is lethargic and we don’t want any such assistance from the government,” says a disheartened applicant from central Kashmir. |
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