Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Sh Ramdas Athawale today visit Jammu as part of the Union Government’s Public Outreach Programme.During his one day visit, Sh Athawale distributed tri- scooties, wheel chairs, smart phone hearing aids and sanitizer kits among the beneficiaries under various schemes of Social Welfare Department.While addressing the media persons, the Minister said that the outreach programme is a unique and ambitious exercise by the Modi Government to reach the doorsteps of the people. The aim to visit each district of Jammu and Kashmir is to assess the local issues and development needs and ensure that beneficiary oriented schemes are actually reaching to the last person in the queue, he added.Later, the MoS chaired a meeting with senior officers of Social Welfare Department to review the implementation of centrally sponsored schemes in Jammu and Kashmir Union territory.
While taking detailed review of implementation of schemes, the Minister asked the concerned to play a role in public awareness regarding various beneficiary and social welfare schemes meant for downtrodden sections of society so that benefits of the same could be percolated to ground level.The Minister said that the government has introduced loan schemes to enable youth to benefit from them and set up their own units to earn a livelihood.He further said that Social Welfare Department provides various assistance programmes including National Social Assistance Programme, residential schools for blind, day care centres for old persons and rehabilitation home for persons cured of mental illness. Various scholarship schemes like those for OBC/EBC/DNT, Dr Ambedkar Post-Matric Scholarships, EBC, Post Matric Scholarship OBC and Scheme for Post-Matric Scholarship for students belonging to the minority communities and those belonging to poor families are also provided, he added.Director social welfare department Jammu, Dr Vivek Sharma also gave a detailed presentation on the functioning of the department and implementation of social welfare schemes in districts of the division.While speaking on the occasion, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr Raghav Langer said that the department is working hard to reach out to all people.ADDC Jammu and others concerned officers and officials were also present in the meeting.