The Hindu : New Delhi News : ‘Welfare schemes will reach the entitled’

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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New Delhi

‘Welfare schemes will reach the entitled’

Staff Reporter

Smart biometric card will ensure benefits to the poor through a single-window system, says Sheila

Photo: S. Subramanium

Close watch: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia at a workshop in New Delhi on Monday.

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday said she would ensure that none of the entitled beneficiaries remains excluded from the benefits of the 45 different welfare schemes being implemented by the Government in the Capital.

Addressing the inaugural session of a two-day workshop on “Strengthening the delivery of social services in Delhi”, Ms. Dikshit said nine government departments were presently involved in various schemes at a total cost of Rs.350 crore.

“The mandate of the mission is to bring together relevant departments on a common platform to eliminate duplication, strengthen the implementation mechanism by use of information technology, rationalise administrative procedures and incorporate partnerships with civil organisations for effective delivery,” she said.

“The aim of ‘Samajik Suvidha Sangam’ is to reach people through simplified mechanisms of government schemes, enhance its effectiveness at the field level, and increase citizens’ involvement. A long-term objective of this initiative is to package useful citizen services in a single window focusing on empowerment of the vulnerable together at delivery level,” she added.

The Government intends to tackle this through a multi-pronged, multi-disciplinary convergence of services covering schemes in the areas of health, education, food security, social security, employmentand empowerment of communities, she explained.

“A smart biometric card system would be introduced for enabling benefits to the poor through a single-window operation system for all welfare entitlement schemes. An independent, concurrent monitoring and evaluation would be regularly carried out,” she added.

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said the pace of economic development of the vulnerable sections of society would be stepped up with the launch of the convergence model in Delhi.

“Cash transfer under the welfare schemes should be linked to performance. Identification of the beneficiaries and other vulnerable sections of society is a big challenge. The ‘Samajik Suvidha Sangam’ is a real solution to ensure benefits of the schemes to almost all the entitled persons,” he added.

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