More than 700 persons, mostly women, were enrolled during the inaugural camp organised by district administration under Social Security Scheme “Aasra” rolled out by state Government recently under which premium for various insurance / social security schemes is being sponsored by Government for persons having annual family income less than Rs 75,000/-District Development Commissioner, Udhampur, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, was the chief guest on the occasion and laid out the roadmap for banks and various departments for achieving universal coverage of women, poor, destitute as well as casual workers across the district. He appealed the public and departments for universal coverage under the scheme.
District Social Welfare Officer, Rachna Sharma,(Nodal Officer) conducted the proceedings of the enrollment cum awareness camp attended by more than 1000 women drawn from various areas. Resource persons from the department elaborated about the provisions of Aasra scheme and legibility for availing the benefits.Dr Shahid informed that administration has initiated a district-wide campaign for identifying and coverage of all persons having income below Rs 75,000/- per anum. He elaborated about the series of awareness cum enrollment camps being organised in both urban and rural areas with special focus on socio-economically backward groups, labourers, women, industrial workers, contract workers, poor and destitute.
The DDC instructed the officers to involve the MLAs and elected representatives at all levels for enrollment camps and disseminate the information at grassroots level. Departments of Health, ICDS, Urban Local Bodies, Industries and Rural Development have been tasked with coverage of all eligible workers and contract labour. Among others, DIO Dr Ashwani Hansa, DGM JKPCC Mr Mir, Tehsildar Udhampur and block officers attended the camp. DSWO and J&K Bank established their awareness stalls and enrollment desks. Earlier, the DDC convened a meeting of line departments for launch of scheme at village and panchayat level with convergence of departmental manpower. He instructed the banks to organise camps in coordination with field administration for ensuring maximum coverage under the Aasra scheme of social security. More than 200 camps have been planned across the district for enrolment of maximum eligible persons especially women.The meeting was attended by Addl DC, ACR, ACD, SDMs, CMO, BMOs, Tehsildars, BDOs and blocks level officers of the district.