Chief Secretary, B R Sharma, Wednesday asked the State Rehabilitation Council to ensure that all militancy victims including widows, orphans, handicapped and old age persons registered with the Council, receive monthly financial assistance directly into their bank accounts via DBT mode.Chairing its Executive Council meeting here, Chief Secretary said that linking the beneficiary bank account with various schemes of the State and Central Government will help them avail extra benefits in addition to the normal pension/scholarship assistance.The Executive Council approved the Action Plan 2016-17 to the tune of Rs 7.45Cr, for covering over 7857 militancy victims including widows, daughters, old aged and handicapped persons and Action Plan 2016-17 of Rs 1.76 Crore for covering 1964 orphans of killed militants (without discrimination).The Executive Council also approved an amount of Rs 101.50 lac on Annual Budget for the Council.Executive Director, State Rehabilitation Council, Mrs Tazayun Mukhtar informed the Committee that Council during FY 2015-16, ordered procurement of as many as 208 motorised tricycles. The process of distributing these tricycles among the eligible beneficiaries has been completed in respect of Jammu division however, in Kashmir division it will be completed by December, 2016.
She added that this will address the demand of all existing beneficiaries (467), however a fresh list of prospective beneficiaries requiring motorised tricycle has been obtained from the DCs and till date as many as 700 have been identified to be in need of motorised tricycle.Chief Secretary urged the Rehabilitation Council to procure more motorized tricycles so that all the physically challenged persons are provided a motorized tricycle in the state. In this regard, the Council was asked to submit the proposal for release of requisite funds to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Ministry of Home Affairs, GoI.Chief Secretary also asked the State Rehabilitation Council to come up with a proposal regarding providing vocational training to the widows (victims of militancy) or their dependants, so as to gain/upgrade his/her skills in their field of preference. The list of all such widows has already been obtained from most of the districts.The Executive Council also reiterated that the monthly pension shall be continued in respect of the militancy affected widows and old aged persons despite their NOKs getting benefitted under SRO-43.Principal Secretary, Home, R K Goyal, Commissioner Secretary, Finance, Navin Kumar Choudhary Secretary, Social Welfare, Sajad Ahmad Khan representatives of concerned Union Ministries’ and other officers were also present in the meeting.