Jammu, January 24 (Scoop News) – Minister for Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo said that the NGOs have an important role in removing the sufferings of the people living below poverty line, schedule caste and schedule tribe categories. She said “it is our collective responsibility to seek the redressal of the problems of the weaker sections of our society, particularly living in rural for off areas of the State”.
The Minister was speaking to the representatives of NGOs at a meeting convened to review the functioning and grant-in-aid position of NGOs operating in the Jammu division here today. Among others, Principal Secretary, Social Welfare, Jet Lal Gupta, Director Social Welfare Mehmood Rana and senior officers from Social Welfare Department were present on the occasion.
Sakina called upon non-government organization (NGOs) to expand the ambit of their activities in rural and remote areas of the State rather than focusing on urban areas alone.
She said though the Government has initiated several measures to improve the socio-economic condition of needy, yet NGOs have a major role to emancipate them from economic dependence. She said the future of such population cannot be transformed until they become economically independent.
The Minister asked NGOs to hold awareness camps in rural and far off areas to sensitize the people about the welfare schemes being run by the government in the State. She said lack of knowledge is the major impediment in mitigating the sufferings of the targeted population.
Ms Sakina asked NGOs, running Old Age Homes, to ease norms for adoption of old aged persons approaching them. She said they (old aged) come to these homes with hope and asked the management of such homes to hug them with love and patience.
The Minister said the Government would encourage all those NGOs who wholeheartedly work for bona fide purposes, adding that the role of certain fake NGOs have damaged the image genuine NGOs. She asked representatives to keep posted department about their activities so that priorities could be fixed for allotment of grant-in-aid as per their quantum of activities.
The Minister asked NGOs not pin hope only on grant-in-aid but try to mobilize their own resources including donations. She said there are people who want to serve the society by way of donating funds for the welfare of physically and mentally challenged and other weaker section of the society
Regarding setting up of “Rehan Basayra” as suggested by some representatives, the Minister assured them that Government would extend all assistance to those NGOs who would like to come forward in this regard.
Ms Sakina assured the representatives that cases of genuine NGOs would timely be forwarded to the Centre for approval and allotment of funds.
Mr Gupta while speaking on the occasion appreciated the role of NGOs and said that efforts are on to make genuine NGOs financially viable to take forward their programme successfully. He said Government has sought Rs. 25 lakh from Centre as grant-in-aid to meet the demands of all the ,NGOs working in the State.
He asked NGOs to train people in such crafts or trades which, on completion, can fetch some income to them within their home towns. He said cutting and tailoring is one of the best income generating activity.
Gupta said that Government has already set up Industrial Training Institutions in rural and urban areas where training for job oriented courses are imparted .