Govt plans rejig in welfare depts

​Hyderabad: In a bid to fast-track the implementation of all welfare schemes and to plug loopholes in them, the State government has come out with the proposal of revamping all welfare departments by creating a strong mechanism.    

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has taken the decision to overhaul the departments in the wake of recent government findings that benefits of many schemes meant for BC, SC, ST and Minority communities were not reaching them in time due to lackadaisical approach of official machinery in many wings.   

Taking a serious note of it, the Chief Minister had already instructed the Secretaries of all welfare departments to prepare a detailed note on implementation of schemes in their respective departments. The officials have also been entrusted with preparing a strong administrative mechanism for the effective implementation of schemes in 2018-19 financial year.    

Officials said that not more than 40 per cent of funds earmarked under SC and ST Sub Plans were utilised in the last three years due to various reasons, including lack of action plan. Although the government allocated sufficient funds, they were not spent on schemes like 3 acres land distribution and self-employment. 

Similarly, funds meant to promote entrepreneurship among SC and ST communities were also under-utilised.  Similarly, the BC and Minority welfare wings are also lagging behind in implementation of self-employment schemes. Delay in the disbursement of loans sanctioned to the beneficiaries has been found a major setback for the government in achieving desirable results. 

For 2018-19 financial year, officials said that government had increased allocations to all welfare departments by 20 per cent when compared to last year. For instance, BC and Minority welfare departments introduced interest-free loans up to Rs 12 lakh to each aspiring entrepreneur this year.  

Government earmarked nearly Rs 500 crore for the purpose. To achieve the target, the departments were already entrusted a group of officials exclusively with monitoring the scheme at ground level. 

The delay in the execution of many schemes has also been found mainly in Kalyana Laxmi, distribution of benefits to fishermen, sheep rearers, barbers and other communities who adopted their own traditional occupations in villages.

Senior official of the BC welfare department said that the government is in the process of creating a strong mechanism in the welfare wings ensuring timely delivery of benefits to needy and hold the officials more accountable. 

The new mechanism will also plug loopholes, mainly the misuse of funds. The officials of all welfare department were already asked to hold monthly meetings with district authorities to review the implementation of schemes.