Chandigarh, January 9: Toprovide safe and convenient accommodation for working women, the SocialSecurity, Women and Child Development Department has decided to construct sevennew hostels with a cost of Rs. 50 crore for working women throughout the Punjabwith day care facilities for their children.
Terming this decision as second gigantic endeavor of thedepartment towards women empowerment after obtaining 33 percent reservation ingovernment jobs for them, Social Security, Women & Child DevelopmentMinister Mrs. Aruna Chaudhary informed that these fully equipped specializedhostels would be constructed in Jalandhar, Patiala, Mohali, Mansa, Barnala,Ludhiana and Amritsar in a first phase and these would cater those women, whoare working in a far-flung areas of their homes. Remaining districts will becovered in the next phase, she said, adding, the land for Mohali hostel hasbeen allotted, while funds for Jalandhar hostel released and proposals forMansa and Amritsar hostels have been received which are under process. Likewise,grants for remaining hostels would be released in the next financial year. Shesaid that an estimated budget of Rs.50 crore is required for the constructionof these hostels in various districts of Punjab on the line of metro cities.She said that 9 hostels for working women are already running in the state.
During a press conference here at Punjab Bhawan, Mrs.Chaudhary elaborated that 50% subsidized fare for all women in state-run buses,which was delayed due to COVID crisis, would be implemented soon. She said thatearlier this facility has been provided to women after reaching the age of 60.
The Minister said that the process of constructing twogovernment run old age homes in districtBarnala and Mansa at a Cost of Rs 5.56 crore each is under way and the fundsfor constructing these old age homes have been released to Public WorksDepartment. While, one government run home is being run in district Hoshiarpur,50 NGO run old age homes are running in the state under Senior Citizen, Welfareand Maintenance Act, wherein 1409 senior citizens are residing, she added. TheMinister was accompanied by Principal Secretary Mrs. Raji P. Shrivastava,Director Mr. Vipul Ujjwal, Joint Secretary Mrs. Vimmi Bhullar, AdditionalDirector Mrs. Lilly Chaudhary, Joint Director Mr. Charanjit Singh Mann, DeputyDirector Mr. Gurjinder Singh Maur, Deputy Director Mrs. Rupinder Kaur andDistrict Program Officer Mr. Sukhdeep Singh.
The Cabinet Minister said that financial assistance ofRs.1695.93 crores have been disbursed to 25,54,473 beneficiaries of old agepensions, widows and destitute women, dependent children and Persons withDisabilities up to the month of November 2020. The Minister said that duringthis financial year, 1,22,274 new beneficiaries under pension schemes have beenincorporated. She said that apart from this, financial assistance of Rs.8,000per month has also been provided to Acid Attack Victims to make themself-reliant and total 24 beneficiaries have been given benefit under this scheme.
Mrs. Chaudhary said that during Covid-19 pandemic,disbursement of pensions was made through Banks in rural and urban areas in alldistricts. Banks have further disbursed pension amounts on the doorsteps of thebeneficiaries through their Business Correspondents/Post Offices by strictlyadopting social distancing protocols.
WELL PERFORMING STATES FOR ISSUING UDID CARDS
The Social Security Minister said that despite COVID-19lockdown/curfew, 42,699 UDID cards to the persons with disabilities have beenissued and the state entered into the well performing states in this project.She said that to achieve the target of providing UDID Cards to remainingpersons with disabilities, the Deputy Commissioners have been asked tofrequently review the progress of the UDID Project in monthly meetings, theCivil Surgeons instructed to digitize the offline issued certificates onpriority basis and to reduce the rejection rate of the applications,particularly where documents uploaded by the applicant have minor errors only.Besides this, all District Social Security Officers are motivating thebeneficiaries of Financial Assistance to Disabled Persons Scheme to registerthem in UDID Portal, the DEOs (Elementary & Secondary) are registering theStudents with Disabilities on the UDID portal through Government Schools.
The Minister further added that 2,77,801 applications havebeen received on the portal. Out of these, 1,62,263 UDID Cards have been issuedto the eligible persons with disabilities so far.
Mrs. Chaudhary categorically said that the state governmenthas recently approved the Punjab Divyangjan Shaktikaran Yojana (PDSY) toempower Divyangjan of the state and provide a supportive environment to them.
DOOR TO DOOR SUPPLEMENTARY NUTRITION TO 10,77,020BENEFICIARIES DURING COVID
The Cabinet Minister said that Rs.140 crores released for27,314 Anganwari Centres in ICDS 155 blocks to enhance the health, nutritionand learning opportunities of mothers and children of the state. During thesetrying times, the department provided door to door Supplementary Nutritionincluding sweet dalia, sweet rice and panjiri to beneficiaries numbering10,77,020 along with psychological support and nutrition counseling. Besidesthis, halwa and panjiri as morning snacks is also provided to the children inthe age group of 3-6 years children who are attending Anganwadi Centres.
Divulging about child welfare schemes, she said that 551children were provided Rs.2000 per child per month in the year 2020-21 undersponsorship schemes, which is an effort towards preventing children frombecoming destitute/vulnerable, running away, forced into child marriage, forcedinto child work etc. Similarly, 37 children were placed in Intra-countryadoptions and 5 children were placed in Inter-country Adoption (Spain) in theyear 2020-21 under Adoption Scheme. As many as 190 children were rescued inchild beggary raids and 155 from child labour raids through district taskforces. The children were restored to their parents, and were enrolled inschools and regular follow up is being done, 32 child marriages were stoppedespecially during lockdown. A total number of 3576 cases were received on ChildHelp Line Number (1098), out of which 250 cases were produced before the ChildWelfare Committee. 1069 cases were disposed off after appropriate action by theChild Help Line member. 35 children were restored and 9 were rehabilitated.Most of the cases received on Child Help Line were simple queries orrequirements of essential services.
3,40,727 BENEFICIARIES GIVEN RS.142.96 CRORES UNDER PMMVYSCHEME
She said that a total 3,40,727 beneficiaries have been givenbenefit of Rs.142.96 crores under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, underwhich women of 19 years of age and above at the birth of the first live child are being given an amount of Rs.5000 in 3 installments subject to thefulfillment of specific conditions under the scheme.
DIGITAL PARENT MARGARDSHAK PROGRAM REACHED ONE LAKH FAMILIES
Mrs. Chaudhary said that to meet the developmental needs ofchildren in an environment which is positive and nurturing, department haslaunched Digital Parent Margardshak Program, which has delivered more than 150activities to the parents through a 6 day weekly cycle by reaching to more than1,00,000 families within around 3 months of implementation. She said that itscontent has been consumed for over 15000 hours by these families across thestate.