Assam CM seeks proposal for trifurcating Social Welfare Department into Directorates  

To infuse a lease of life and ensure proper development through timely intervention, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal mooted the idea of trifurcating the Social Welfare Department into three Directorates.

Chairing a review meeting of Social Welfare Department in the conference room of his office chamber in Assam Secretariat, Dispur on Friday, Sonowal asked the Additional Chief Secretary to prepare a proposal to facilitate creation of three Directorates for the welfare of Women, Children and for specially challenged persons under Social Welfare Department.

To add more teeth and help the Department to live up to its mandate, Sonowal also exhorted the need of taking more welfare oriented schemes by the Department.

In sync with the schemes of the Centre, Sonwal also emphasised on taking schemes which will be force-multiplier for social development.

“The need of the hour is to lend more transparency and accountability to help the Department to render its services effectively for the welfare of women, children and specially challenged persons,” Sonowal said.

To bring in more transparency in the procurement and distribution of its services, Sonowal also directed the departmental authority to go for ‘on-line’ and ‘e-tendering’.

The Department has also been asked to take more measures against gender based discrimination.
The Assam CM also sought performance reports of 230 Integrated Child Development Schemes (ICDS) and 62158 Anganwadi Centres active in the State.

Sonowal called for an exhaustive approach for a comprehensive development of children and pregnant women.

Sonowal also asked the Department to take up the execution part of all the schemes up on a mission mode and the 164 schemes being undertaken by voluntary organisations have to be monitored to assess their effectiveness.

The Assam CM was apprised that the State has received Rs 527 crore under ICDS and Rs 336 crore under Special Nutrition Project (SNP) and top priorities have been accorded for their early completion.

Additional Chief Secretary T.Y. Das, Principal Secretary of Social Welfare Department Hemanta Narzary and host of other top officers were present at the meeting.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)