ACS presides over 14th review meeting of State Level Committee of Prime Minister’s New 15 point prog
Additional Chief Secretary of Social Justice and Empowerment Nisha Singh presided over the 14th review meeting of State Level Committee for the implementation, monitoring and Reporting of Prime Minister’s New 15 point programme for the welfare of minorities in Himachal Pradesh with all concerned departments here today. She directed all the stakeholder departments to ensure efficient implementation of the programme.
Nisha Singh while reviewing the meeting directed the officers to ensure that the benefits of welfare schemes of the state government reach the people belonging to minorities sections like Muslims, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, Christians and Sikh of the state, so that their welfare could be ensured. The benefits of various welfare schemes of the government should also be extended to the minority people of tribal districts.
She said that it is an achievement that 195 Aanganwari Centres are being run in three Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Blocks i.e. Lahaul, Spiti and Pooh identified by the Government of India for monitoring under Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for the welfare of minorities benefitting 3047 children. As many as 468 Anganwari Centres are located in minority habitations of the State.
She said that it is satisfactory that three mobile non-residential special training centres for nomadic community Gujjars are being run in Sirmour district in which 42 children have been enrolled. One hundred Buddhist minority children taking religious education in six Gompas are also being provided modern education. Students of minorites are availing the benefits of Pre-matric Minority Scholarship Scheme, Post-Matric Scholarship for minorities, Merit-cum-means scholarship scheme and Maulana Azad National Scholarship Scheme for Meritorious Girl Students belonging to Minorities. She said that it is also being ensured that these communities have their stake in other schemes like Swarnjayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojna, Medha Protsahan Yojna including recruitment to State and Central Services and availing the loan facilities of HP Minorities Finance and Development Corporation.
She directed officers of various departments to resort to intensive awareness campaign for generating awareness of welfare schemes for minority communities. IEC material should be displayed in offices, tehsils and schools alongwith sensitization of head of the institutions in the areas of minority population. She laid emphasis on the formulation of special one year and three year action plans in synergy with institutions like National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) for providing training for skill development of minorities.
Director Social Justice and Empowerment Hans Raj Chauhan and other senior officers of various departments along with non-official members were also present in the meeting.